119 students receive medical degrees during Boonshoft School of Medicine graduation

After four or more years of intense study and specialized training, 119 medical students from the Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine received their M.D. degrees during the school’s graduation ceremony on May 1.

After four or more years of intense study and specialized training, 119 medical students in the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine class of 2022 received their M.D. degrees during the school’s graduation ceremony on May 1 at the Wright State Nutter Center.

In addition to the conferring of degrees, the ceremony included a “hooding ceremony” in which graduates receive traditional regalia denoting their status and profession.

Students also took a professional oath to mark the start of their medical careers and signed a registry to commemorate their first use of the initials M.D. following their names.

Capt. Juliann Althoff, M.D., the executive officer of the Naval Medical Research Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and a 1995 Boonshoft School of Medicine graduate, delivered the commencement address.

Althoff has served in a variety of leadership positions across the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and the joint operating forces. She completed flight surgeon training in Pensacola, Florida, and a residency in general public health and preventive medicine at the Uniformed Services University.

Althoff served as the senior flight surgeon with the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (“Marine One”). She also served as the preventive medicine and force health protection officer and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade surgeon in Okinawa Japan and the U.S. Pacific Command’s preventive medicine and force health protection officer.

Juliann Althoff, a captain in the Navy and Boonshoft School of Medicine graduate, delivered the commencement address at the medical school’s graduation ceremony.

She also served as the executive assistant for the deputy surgeon general of the Navy, executive director of the Defense Health Board and chief medical officer of Naval Medical Center San Diego.

In July, the graduates will begin prestigious residencies and receive advanced training in the medical specialties of their choice. The new physicians will enter outstanding residency training programs in Dayton, throughout Ohio and nationwide, including the Boonshoft School of Medicine, Case Western/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Emory University, Loyola University Medical Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Brown University, John Hopkins Hospital and Wake Forest University. A complete list of all matches is available at medicine.wright.edu/match.

More than 34% of the Wright State graduates will remain in Ohio during residency, and 20% will remain in Dayton. Fifteen graduates will complete their residencies at Wright State University.

More than a third (37.3%) will enter a primary care field — Family Medicine: 8.5%; Internal Medicine: 20.3%; and Pediatrics: 8.5%.

The Boonshoft School of Medicine presented the following awards for the 2021–2022 academic year:

Valerie Weber, M.D., dean of the Boonshoft School of Medicine, presented the Dean’s Award to graduating medical student James Elliott for demonstrating a commitment to academic excellence, embodying empathy and compassion toward others, exemplifying personal integrity and professionalism and earning the respect and trust of classmates and faculty.

The Teaching Excellence Award was presented to Gregory Toussaint, M.D., assistant dean for clinical skills education and associate professor of pediatrics, who was selected by the class of 2022 as the faculty member displaying outstanding professional skill and pride in discharging his instructional duties.

The American Medical Women’s Association Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citations were presented to Michelle Adamczyk, Jennifer Drerup, Kaitlynne Pak, Ilana Siegal, Kelly Spiller and Hannah Stump.

The Dan W. Elliott, M.D., Award was presented to Molly Scarbro, who is committed to a career in surgery and has shown outstanding performance in surgery during the clinical years.

The Department of Internal Medicine Outstanding Senior Student Award was given to Gregory Guzik.

The Department of Neurology Outstanding Senior Awards was given to Sanuri Gunawardena, Asia Payne and Maral Sakayan.

The Department of Pediatrics Award was presented to Kyra Bufi, who is committed to a career in pediatrics and has shown outstanding performance in pediatrics during the clinical years.

The Department of Psychiatry Outstanding Senior Student Award was given to Kelly Haller.

The Excellence in Public Health Award was presented to Steven Repas.

The Glenn C. Hamilton, M.D., Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award was presented to Christopher Evola, recognizing interest and accomplishment in emergency medicine.

The Global Service Award was given to Jenna Braun, who has a history of volunteering and rotating in a medically underserved area internationally.

The Homer Cassel, M.D., Award, presented by the Dayton Society of Internal Medicine in honor of the late Dr. Homer D. Cassel, was presented to Zarmina Hashmi for outstanding scholarship and commitment to the specialty of internal medicine.

The John C. Worthman, M.D., Award was given to Henrietta Cautin, a student entering into the Wright State University Family Medicine Residency.

The Larry Lawhorne Award for Excellence in Geriatric Medicine, sponsored by the Ohio Department of Aging, was given to Alexander Long, for excellence in the study of geriatrics.

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award was presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation to graduating medical student Avni Gupta and to faculty member Cassandra Milling, M.D., for consistently demonstrating compassion and empathy in the delivery of care to patients.

The Merck Manual Awards (Merck Company) were presented to Christopher Cooley, Jacob Lambertsen, and Kelly Spiller, who exemplify scholastic achievement in medical studies.

The Nicholas J. Thompson Award was given to Avni Gupta, who is committed to a career in obstetrics gynecology and has shown outstanding performance in obstetrics-gynecology during the clinical years.

The Outstanding Rural Medical Scholar Award, sponsored by the Wright Rural Medical Scholars program, was presented to Christopher Evola for dedication to advancing rural medicine.

The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award was given to Aaron Blevins, who has demonstrated outstanding proficiency in emergency medicine.

The Walbroehl Award for Family Medicine was presented to Helen Jones for excellence in family medicine.

The following students were inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society: Michelle Adamczyk, Dhishant Asarpota, Sharlo Bayless, Bricey Bayonnet, Ian Beck, Aaron Blevins, Benjamin Clouse, Christopher Cooley, Brenden Drerup, Jennifer Drerup, James Elliott, Christopher Evola, Elana Fackler, Sanuri Gunawardena, Avni Gupta, Kelly Haller, Kaitlynne Pak, Joshua Perrin, Nikhil Reddy, Benjamin Schmeusser, Ilana Siegal, Kelly Spiller, Hannah Stump and Joseph Wiedemer.

The following students were inducted into Gold Humanism Honor Society: Sharlo Bayless, Bricey Bayonnet, Aaron Blevins, Jenna Braun, J. Blake Calcei, Christopher Cooley, Brenden Drerup, Jennifer Drerup, Derrek Edukugho, Elana Fackler, Sanuri Gunawardena, Avni Gupta, Kelly Haller, Sachin Jindal, Daniel Masters, Trevor McKoy, Temitope Omoladun, Kennedy Osuagwu, Joshua Perrin, Bryn Thatcher, Todd Turner and Joseph Wiedemer