Alpha Omega Alpha Rating, Reviews and Requirements. Is it worth it?
What is the history of Alpha Omega Alpha?
AΩA's story begins at the opening of the twentieth century with a small group of medical students at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago led by thirty-five-year-old William Webster Root. Galled by the absence of professional values and the immaturity and poor conduct they saw in their fellow medical students (and in some cases the school's faculty), Root and some like-minded friends started AΩA in 1902. They decided to model the new honor medical society after Phi Beta Kappa. Root transferred to Rush Medical College and graduated in 1904. He and his colleagues provided the leadership and recruited exceptional leaders in academic medicine to join them in making AΩA a national organization. In 1906, AΩA led the nation in ensuring equality in its membership by inducting its first female member, and amending its Constitution. Today, AΩA has 132 Chapters in the United States and Lebanon and has elected more than 183,000 members since its founding.
What are the requirements to be in Alpha Omega Alpha?
For medical students, the Dean of the School of Medicine or his/her designee identifies a pool of candidates who approximate in number the upper quartile of the class expected to graduate, and who have excelled in the criteria for nomination to AΩA membership—scholastic achievement, professionalism, leadership, community service, and research. Scholastic achievement refers to the qualities of becoming, and being, an excellent doctor—trustworthiness, character, caring, knowledge, skills, demeanor, proficiency of the doctor-patient relationship, promise of future leadership, decision-making, compassion, empathy, altruism, values of the profession, teamwork, life-long learning, and servant leadership. Each of AΩA’s 132 Chapters in medical schools across the country, in Puerto Rico, and Lebanon develop the metrics and rubric to weight the criteria as best fits its medical school, keeping in mind the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) approved curriculum and evaluation, and then select 16 percent of its graduating class, 25 residents/fellows, 10 faculty, and three to five alumni as new members of AΩA.
What are the key benefits of being a member of Alpha Omega Alpha?
Alpha Omega Alpha supports 13 fellowships, grants, programs, and awards for medical students and physicians at its 132 Chapters, and publishes a quarterly peer-reviewed, medical humanities journal The Pharos which contains articles on nontechnical medical subjects, including history, ethics, national issues, personal essays, and poetry.
Based on the information, here is our review:
Our first observation is: that this society supports 13 fellowships, grants, programs, and awards for medical students and physicians at its 132 Chapters.
Our second observation was: that this society was formed within the last 100 years, making it relatively new compared to others.
Our third observation was: that this society is International, providing greater reach than national societies.
