Profession
Medical school, physician honored for service, humanism
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 22, 2004
The Assn. of American Medical Colleges gave out two awards of note at its annual meeting this month in Boston.
The University of Rochester Medical Center was given the AAMC's "Outstanding Community Service Award" and the "Humanism in Medicine Award" went to Sharad Jain, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and assistant chief of the medical service at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
The AAMC said it had selected the URMC for the community service award because of its numerous community health programs, such as Health-e-Access, which uses telemedicine technology to give the working poor easier access to medical care for their children.
The AAMC also cited the URMC for its commitment to weaving community service into its curriculum. All fourth-year medical students at URMC are required to participate in the "Community Health Improvement Clerkship."
The AAMC said Dr. Jain was recognized for contributions as a medical educator and student adviser, for clinical care and compassion he shows veterans at his hospital and for his volunteer work for the homeless.
The AAMC said students call Dr. Jain "the greater omentum" because of his ability to "hold everything together" for his students and offer them support as they experience educational challenges and difficult career choices.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/11/22/prbf1122.htm.
