Academic Distinction
Academic Distinction is earned by a student who receives “Honors” in greater than 50% of the required courses and has no “Concern” or “Failure” course grades or any professionalism issues.
Pre-Clinical Year
Marshals
Pre-Clinical Year students who have completed all the required didactic year courses with the highest academic performance may be appointed as marshals by the faculty. The marshals help with graduation and are recognized during graduation. Their names are also listed in the graduation program.
Katherine Anderson Award
This award is given to a 1st year student in recognition of exemplary performance and professional growth toward becoming a Physician Assistant during the Pre-Clinical Year. The award is named for the first Medical Director of the Physician Assistant Program and a much respected physician, both in the community and the institution. Academic success is but one of several criteria for this award. The recipient is chosen by the faculty of the Department of PA Studies.
Clinical Year
The James Franklin Wilson Award
This award is presented in memory of a Physician Assistant graduate of the Class of 1973. It is presented annually at graduation to a selected student of the graduating class who shows the greatest aptitude and devotion to the profession. The recipient is selected by the Chair of the Department of PA Studies, the Medical Director, the Director of Clinical Education, and a graduating student selected by the faculty. Potential names are submitted by the faculty. Academics play a large part in the selection but by no means are the only attribute of the honoree. Pre-Clinical Year success, Clinical Year success and/or improvement, class involvement, support of class projects, integrity, excitement of new knowledge and sharing that knowledge with classmates. These are some of the characteristics that could describe past participants. This is the highest award given to a Physician Assistant student.
Kitty Bowman Excellence in Research Award
This award is presented to a student in the graduating class who represents an outstanding commitment to research or to the integration of evidence-based medicine into clinical practice. It is presented annually at graduation. The recipient is selected by the Master Project Director and the Chair of the Department of PA Studies. This award is named for the first registrar of the Physician Assistant Program who was also a founding member of a community agency, AIDS Care Service.
Updated May 2011