Exceptional Professionalism Award Winners

Kiara Jeffrey

Preclinical, M2

"Kiara consistently goes above and beyond each day to make UTCOMLS a better place. During TBLs and anatomy labs, she makes sure to listen to everyone and ensures all members of the team understand the content. She also listens to make sure everyone in the group is heard. Additionally, she is always willing to help, no matter what you ask of her- during lab, during club meetings, etc. With this collaborative environment she creates, she also seeks out opportunities for clubs she is not even directly involved in simply for the betterment of her peers and her community. I am always impressed with Kiara's ability to listen, encourage and collaborate effectively, and this is why I believe she deserves to be recognized with this award."

Josh Pelia

Clinical, M4

"I am nominating Josh not only because of his professionalism, but also because of the kindness, care, and respect that he shows to his fellow peers. Josh has always been a student that will go above and beyond to help others at any course of their medical academic career. I believe that these qualities of his will carry on further into his professional career in the future. During his first 2 years at UTCOMLS, I have witnessed him be open to all students in his class and make a real effort to make positive connections with his peers, as well as his mentors and professors. Josh has made a great use of his time here in pursuing all of the opportunities offered to him, whether that be in class with other students, or in participating in research during his rotations. With his research opportunities, I have witnessed him working collectively with his peers and being able to take lead in guiding them to succeed, both with their professional work, as well as in the clinical setting when working with patients. I have also witnessed Josh making a positive impact in the clinical setting by being genuine when talking to both patients and other physicians. He makes it known that he is eager to learn, and his eagerness and dedication shows when he puts in all the effort he can into knowing his patients and maximizing their care. He has great communication and people skills that will take him far in his professional career. These skills, along with his motivation for always improving himself in knowing more and more about medicine is what I believe truly qualifies him to receive this award."

Vivian Isaac

Preclinical, M2

"Throughout her time in medical school, Vivian has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to patient care, a tireless work ethic, and a dedication to upholding the highest ethical standards. Her compassion, integrity, and leadership shine through in all she does, whether that be dropping whatever she is doing to help her fellow students in their studies or serving the underserved at the CommunityCare Clinics and other local clinics. Vivian consistently goes above and beyond to ensure her peers and patients feel heard, understood, and cared for. In group settings, she leverages her excellent communication skills and emotional intelligence to facilitate constructive dialogue, find common ground, and resolve issues in a professional manner. I have seen her on multiple occasions utilize her leadership skills by advocating for others’ ideas and empowering them to voice their opinions when they otherwise wouldn’t. Vivian embodies the essence of what makes an exceptional medical student and is incredibly deserving of this prestigious award."

Taylor Spurgeon-Hess

Clinical, M4

"Taylor shows her commitment to honesty, integrity, and professionalism both in and out of clinical settings. She consistently demonstrates extreme care for complex patients, and does extra reading to help ensure no possible diagnoses or solutions are missed. On one rotation, she advocated for the workup of a patient's pain when others overlooked it. She is a great sounding board for those around her, providing insightful advice and support. Her passion for women's care is inspiring, and she continuously strives to learn and improve her understanding of medicine for the benefit of the patients she interacts with. She is someone that others want on their team."

Vineeth Atluru

Preclinical, M2

" I am pleased to nominate Vineeth Atluru for the Exceptional Professionalism Award. Vineeth serves as the Vice President of the Medical Education & Innovation Club, where his leadership and dedication have greatly contributed to the educational experience for all students. He consistently demonstrates professionalism and compassion, particularly in his interactions in the Hillebrand Center with classmates and standardized patients. His ability to be respectful and maintain a positive attitude while upholding high standards of professionalism creates a supportive and welcoming environment for others.
In addition to his leadership role, Vineeth is a dedicated volunteer, regularly contributing his time at local middle schools and the Community Care Clinic, providing compassionate care to underserved populations. He is also involved in planning the Donor Memorial Service for donor families, showcasing his commitment to honoring all the patients and families we interact with as medical students. Vineeth's honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness, along with his dedication to creating a positive learning environment, have allowed him to make a meaningful impact as a medical student at the University of Toledo."

Grace Zachar

Clinical, M4

"Grace is a wonderful human being and a stellar example an empathetic future physician. Having worked with Grace on several rotations, I saw the dedication that she showed toward her patients. She always went the extra mile to make sure patients were comfortable and cared for, especially during her pediatrics rotation. You can tell that she truly cares about the team and the patient's best interest. Grace is also an example of a great student, frequently asking thoughtful questions and immersing herself in the clinical experience rather than rushing through it to get to studying. I believe all UTCOM students should aspire to be more like her!"

Kunal Matharu

Preclinical, M1

" I am writing on behalf of Kunal Matharu, to nominate them for the Medical Student Exceptional Professionalism Award. In their time at our medical school, they have demonstrated exceptional dedication, professionalism, and passion for both medicine and our community.
As an ambassador for our medical school, this student has gone above and beyond to represent our institution with pride and excellence. Their passion for the city of Toledo is evident through their commitment to volunteering in our local community.
This individual's commitment to professionalism and kindness is shown in all their interactions around our campus and local community. Whether engaging with the Hillebrand staff in the simulation center or speaking with prospective students, they consistently demonstrate respect, empathy, and integrity. Their ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with all individuals reflects their exceptional interpersonal skills and their understanding of the importance of building positive relationships within the medical community.
This student's leadership qualities inspire others to follow their example by leading with compassion, humility, and a strong sense of responsibility. Their dedication to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all embodies the values of our medical school and fosters a sense of belonging among students, faculty, and staff alike."

Vikhyathi Pallerla

Clinical, M3

"Vikhyathi Pallerla deserves the Professionalism Award for her consistent dedication to meeting deadlines, delivering quality work, and fostering positive relationships. She excels in communication, collaboration, and integrity, evident in her ability to lead projects effectively, mediate conflicts, and uphold ethical standards. Vikhyathi's professionalism sets a high standard for her colleagues, making her a deserving recipient of this award."

Humza Bashir

Preclinical, M1

"Humza exemplifies professionalism not only through his adept facilitation of teamwork but also through his unwavering commitment to compassion in all our preclinical patient interactions. He not only dedicates himself to his own learning but also actively contributes to enhancing the learning environment for those around him. I've witnessed his remarkable dedication in our team-based learning activities and during our initial experiences in the anatomy lab. Moreover, in our interactions with standardized patients and in the Sim Center, Humza consistently upholds a professional and compassionate demeanor, setting a commendable standard for others to follow."

Avish Persaud

Clinical, M3

"Avish Persaud has always demonstrated exceptional professionalism with all of his patients, peers, and physicians he works with. He not only excels in what is expected of him during his rotations, but he goes above and beyond to help other students and peers in any way possible. Many of his preceptors have commented on his ability to relate well with patients, showing empathy with ease while being able to effectively obtain necessary information to best treat patients. He takes time to develop strong relationships with other office staff as well and is a great role model for his peers!"

Katie Beier

Preclinical, M1

"Katie is one the most hard working individuals I have met during my time at UTCOMLS. She displays exceptional professionalism, not only through her interactions with peers and faculty members, but also through her leadership. Katie always gives 100% at everything she does and always aims to help others in every role she takes on. This includes her role as the Executive Director of the UTCOMLS Ambassadors, where she has put in countless days to improve on the organization and provide meaningful experiences for both current and prospective students. Everyone I know is always happy to go to Katie for guidance and is always welcomed with open arms and her caring nature. Katie’s ambitions, intelligence, kindness, sincerity and accomplishments complement precisely the definition of professionalism and a role model. Her skills do not end with her academic and extracurricular achievements. Rather, even on a personal level, Katie projects a warm, cheerful attitude to everyone outside the classroom. I have seen her resolve conflicts and handle other difficult situations with remarkable patience and admirable tact. On campus she goes out of her way to help everyone around her. She loves people, works hard, and always tries to lift the spirits of those around her. She motivates me to approach every task with all my effort and is the perfect candidate for this award. I am extremely grateful to call Katie my friend!"

Alyssa Lange

Clinical, M3

"Alyssa consistently exhibits an unwavering dedication and remarkable commitment to patients, colleagues, and the team as a whole. Throughout various rotations, I've observed Alyssa's exceptional professionalism, empathy, and respect towards patients and their families. Her sincere concern for others' well-being, combined with her approachable communication style, establishes her as a trusted and empathetic member of every team she joins. Alyssa's ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and mentor junior students demonstrates her leadership qualities and her dedication to creating a supportive learning environment. Furthermore, her ongoing pursuit of knowledge and academic excellence reflects her commitment to continuous growth and development. Alyssa serves as an exemplary model of professional conduct."

Aya Dakroub

Preclinical, M1

"When it comes to not only demonstrating exceptional professionalism, but also an unequivocal commitment to helping others, Aya is the first person that comes to mind. She has constantly displayed empathy, respect, and compassion in every encounter she has had with patients, peers, faculty members and staff. Aya dedicates much of her time to the Community Care Clinic (CCC), where students have been able to witness the consistent displays of what a true medical student should aim to be. The way she interacts with patients and their families with such a caring and welcoming attitude is inspiring. Aya’s care, confidence and communication make her a valuable asset to any team. Regardless of how busy she may be, Aya always takes time to help those around her and participate in opportunities and events that allow her to give back to the community, including teaching elementary school classes through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Ohio (BBBSNWO). Even among peers, everyone I know always speaks very highly of Aya and respects her to the utmost. In addition, I have never heard Aya speak poorly about anyone, and in fact, she is always the first person to find the good in someone and defend them. This is someone who always motivates me to do better because of the standard she sets. As such, Aya’s professionalism, clinical knowledge, compassion, community involvement, caring nature and ability to brighten any situation, not only make her an exceptional medical student and future healthcare provider, but also someone I'm extremely grateful to call a friend."

Hannah Roberts

Clinical, M3

"Hannah does a great job of leading honor code within her class. She consistently demonstrates professionalism within the organization and helps make honor code better. She has taken over continuing the EPA award and allowing those within all classes to be recognized for the work they do. She is professional in all interactions with her peers and sets a great example for younger classmates. Overall, Hannah deserves this award for all of her dedication to her various organizations and ability to lead."

Micheal Glaze

Preclinical, M1

"Michael consistently demonstrates an exceptionally positive attitude, constantly uplifting his peers and offering support to those around him. During a seesion together at the Hillebrand Center, I had the opportunity to witness his exemplary professionalism in handling sensitive patient interactions. I was truly impressed by his gentle and sensitive approach to a challenging situation, reflecting his commitment to maintaining a high standard of professionalism in all aspects of his work."

Connor Campbell

Clinical, M3

"Connor demonstrates excellence in professionalism by showing up each day with a great attitude and strong commitment to learning. I worked with Connor on a difficult rotation and he took every chance to see additional patients, take on tasks to lighten the load for others, and stay late for more learning opportunities. He simultaneously impressed the staff and provided space for his peers to shine which is a difficult balance to achieve. He is one of the most respectful students I have encountered and deserves to be recognized for his efforts."

Avery Napier

Preclinical, M1

"This student interacts with the utmost professional behavior with faculty, students, and patients. They never shy away from helping out fellow community members. They make sure to truly care about the acts of service they do and you can really tell from their passion that they have a deep rooted passion for the practice of medicine with morals. Furthermore, they make it a point to lend a hand whenever needed to anyone while demonstrating a high level of empathy."

Lauren Workman

Clinical, M3

"Lauren strives to do her best each and every day during her clinical rotations as well as uplift all those she is working with. She displays professionalism when working with all members of the health care team, particularly while interacting with fellow medical students, PA students, residents, and nurses while on her Psychiatry rotation. She made sure new students were comfortable with interviewing new consults and always offered to help distribute the workload. During rounds, she advocated for her patients beyond their medical needs by coordinating with family members and social workers to ensure all of her patients’ needs were met."

Jacob Itkin

Preclinical, M1

"During our our practice sessions with standardized patients, this individual has shown great professionalism and has been able to lead team discussions in a respectful and competent way."

Alison Mascarenhas

Clinical, M3

"Alison is a passionate and hardworking teammate. She has been very involved with the CCC since her first year and served on the executive board last year. She continues to volunteer as a clinical student. She is passionate about providing equitable healthcare and the well being of others. If you're having a bad day, expect Alison to check in on you! She also serves as an AEC mentor and is motivated to help other students navigate the curriculum in a seamless manner. When not making AEC review slides and volunteering with CCC, she can be found coaching youth soccer and attending dance classes. Her involvement displays her well rounded and passionate character that is a delight to have on any team. She constantly has a smile on her face and a "can do" attitude and will be a great physician one day. She is an excellent representation of UTCOM and its mission in providing patient-centered and high-quality care."

Mathieu Holt

Preclinical, M2

"I feel as though Mathieu demonstrates many attributes of an exceptional medical student. He regularly uplifts those around him by providing compassionate mentorship in personal development, physical fitness, and academics. In one specific instance, he even helped a patient in the UTMC parking lot change the tire on their car despite being a stranger to them. He exemplifies diligence, volunteerism, and a genuine desire to serve; I'm so grateful to call him a friend, and constantly want to do better because of the standard he sets."

Madison Stolly

Clinical, M3

"Madison Stolly is the example our school should use as what it wants from its students and her impressive academic achievement comes nowhere near the top of reasons why. Everyone who is able to work with her in the clinical setting has a better day than they did the day before. She takes time to listen to the stories of her colleagues without judgement and only offers advice when solicited. She has gone out of her way to do small acts such as printing patient lists, or grabbing classmates a pair of gloves, when they are running a little behind. Furthermore, countless preceptors have commented on how much she cares for her patients. She knows their charts well and becomes an expert on their health problems to fulfill her own feeling of responsibility in providing the best care for them. In conclusion, Madison is the model of professionalism, clinical knowledge, and effective communication, but she is exceptional at brightening the novel environments she encounters as rotations change by deeply connecting with all members of the healthcare team."

Mark Houdi

Preclinical, M2

"Mark helped me greatly with a research project I'm working on. He was very approachable and happy to help without asking for credit. He was really just genuinely happy to help out and work on solving my problems. I know he's very busy, so for him to take the time to focus on my project with such kindness and quick communication just stood out to me and I think he should be recognized for his efforts."

Travis Brege

Clinical, M4

"Travis demonstrates an unwavering dedication and outstanding commitment to patients, colleagues, and the other members of the team. Travis has consistently displayed exceptional professionalism, empathy, and respect towards patients and their families as I've seen on rotations. His genuine concern for the well-being of others, coupled with his very open and inviting style of communication, has made him a trusted and compassionate member of all the teams he has been on. Travis's ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and mentor fellow students in the classes below us showcases a certain level of leadership and commitment to fostering a positive learning environment. Moreover, his consistent pursuit of learning and continuous effort to improve academically reflects his dedication to lifelong learning and professional growth. I believe that he sets a great example in professional behavior for the rising medical students at UTCOMLS."

John Najjar

Preclinical

"John Najjar has proved himself to be a very dependable medical student. He is on time for all mandatory sessions and demonstrates high professionalism standards during principles of clinical medicine and TBL. During summer, he is conducting research and always applies himself to working in a team and valuing the contributions of everyone."

Claire Stoll

Clinical

"Claire has been an exceptional mentor to me over the past several months, consistently going above and beyond to create a positive learning environment for both of us. I had the pleasure of working with Claire during a summer preceptorship experience, during which I stuck to her like velcro. She always took the extra time to bring me up to speed, share important information, and assure me that I will gain a lot more confidence in the coming years. She worked extremely well with the rest of our team and always asked thought-provoking questions or shared helpful insights during group discussions. She went above and beyond the call of her role and represented UTCOMLS in the most positive way. Claire truly embodies the principles of exceptional professionalism and compassionate leadership, in every situation."

Sanjana Yerubandi

Preclinical, M2

"Sanjana constantly displays a positive attitude and encourages her peers around her. She has been especially helpful in the anatomy lab with explaining concepts and guiding her peers while studying for lab practicals. She consistently goes out of her way to make sure that all of us are following along when we study anatomy together and patiently answers every question that comes up. Overall, Sanjana has been a great help over the past several months and has always helped simplify things so it's easy to understand!"

Eric Reinhart

Clinical, M4

"Eric is someone who genuinely cares for the people around him. He not only treats his patients with compassion and empathy, but also incorporates these values in his everyday life. On his OBGYN rotation, the preceptor he was with was leaving the area after 20 years. The nursing staff, most of whom worked together for 10+ years, had to find new jobs. Eric spent a lot of his rotation talking to and consoling them about this dramatic change. He is not afraid to go above and beyond the extra mile and meet people at their most vulnerable position."

Drew Pariseau

Preclinical, M2

"Drew is someone I have gotten to know in the UTCOMLS. He always shows up to events on time and carries himself with such professionalism. He is kind to other students and takes time to answer questions and admits when he is wrong. He also is professional with professors. He is able to listen, accept feedback, and better himself. Knowing him personally, he always talks highly of others and is honest. I have noticed he cares deeply about the patients and people he works with from the stories he shares about his experience at Northwest Ohio Hospice and Newcomer Funeral home. I am grateful to have gotten to know Drew and truly believe he deserves this award."

Erin Sheehan

Clinical, M4

"I lived with Erin during my surgery rotation in Columbus and she was always helpful to me, taking extra time to teach me how to hand tie and suture tie. Additionally, she was always very considerate when choosing cases for the day that everyone got to go to the cases that they would find most interesting, even if it would mean she would have to stay for a longer surgery. She also went above and beyond outside of the clinical setting, always offering to bring me coffee or food whenever she could!"

Alyssa Lange

Preclinical

"Alyssa holds herself to a high standard and is always making herself available to help out those in need. She is deserving of this award because of her leadership, professionalism, and overall integrity. She has proven this through her role as a Peer Leader, being VP of Mentorship for AMWA, and being President of AWS. She did a great job planning the AWS Annual Mixer where students got to network with physicians. University of Toledo is lucky to have Alyssa and she will be a wonderful physician in the future."

Brooke Buckingham

Clinical

"Brooke is the type of person who goes out of her way for her organizations. She is very involved in AMA and has helped at the medical school and national organization. She has mentored many new AMA leaders and lead discussions on important topics. Additionally, while working with Brooke, she has always been prepared and interested in what is best for her patients."

Molly Adams

Clinical

"Molly is the type of person that pushes everyone around her to be their best. She is kind, patient centered, efficient, and trustworthy. If you've ever had the chance to work with Molly as a mentor you'll have seen how thoroughly she prepares for each encounter so that she can provide the highest quality of care as a patient advocate. In her interactions with other students she is sure to take time to review content, talk through cases, and foster genuine friendship. For these reasons, Molly is an exceptional professional."

Medical Student Honor Code