AΩA Membership Selection
Algorithm Calculation for Nomination to Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honorary Society
I: First Step – (Criteria from AΩA National) Heading link
Membership in AΩA may be attained as a medical student, resident, fellow, faculty member, alumni, clinician, or distinguished leader in medicine. Each school may elect up to 20% of the graduating class of students, who, based on merit, demonstrate the characteristics of excellent physicians in alignment with AΩA’s mission and values. The characteristics of excellent physicianship will be identified by each school; examples include trustworthiness, character, caring, knowledge, scholarship, proficiency in the doctor-patient relationship, leadership, compassion, empathy, altruism, and servant leadership. Nominees must be in good academic standing and must not have any professionalism concerns.
II: Second Step – (30 points maximum) Heading link
From this point, the specifics of the process are governed by the UIC AΩA chapter. This second step, however, continues to rely on the Dean’s office for conducting the relevant calculations. The second step further re-applies some of the academic performance criteria previously utilized for the MSPE calculation – specifically the clerkship grades, which most directly reflect students’ capacity to “serve the suffering” in accord with the AOA mission. The clinical grade and exam grade are considered separately here, in order to ensure that outstanding clinical performance is recognized even where the final clerkship grade might have been diminished by exam performance.
Allocation of points for Core Clerkship Clinical Performance
- Honors in 35-44% core clerkships = 7 pts
- Honors in 45-59% core clerkships = 10 pts
- Honors in 60-79% core clerkships = 13 pts
- Honors in 80-99% core clerkships = 16 pts
- Honors in 100% core clerkships = 19 pts
Allocation of points for Core Clerkship NBME Examination
- Top 20 percentile nationally in 2 clerkships =3pts
- Top 20 percentile nationally in 3 clerkships = 5pts
- Top 20 percentile nationally in 4 clerkships = 7 pts
- Top 20 percentile nationally in 5 clerkships =9 pts
- Top 20 percentile nationally in 6 clerkships = 11 pts
III: Third Step – (30 points maximum) Heading link
Students invited to apply to AOA will be asked to submit data on their extracurricular activities, which the AΩA Executive Committee will then further assess using the following criteria in the table below. The candidate will submit the completed application for AΩA, see application for further details.
- Leadership within the College and/or University or National organization (e.g., officer of a campus or College medical student council, student organization, etc): (0 to 9 pts)
- Research Experience: (0 to 3 pts)
- Research Presentations: (0 to 2 pts
- Publications achieved during medical school: (0 to 2 pts)
- Community Service: (0 to 9 pts)
- Personal Essay: (0 to 5 pts)
IV: Final Nominations – (60 points maximum) Heading link
As stipulated by the national AΩA chapter, “… one fifth of the total number of the class expected to graduate may be nominated for membership.” As such, the students scoring in the top 1/5 of the class will be notified of their nomination to membership. Those nominated must then register with the AΩA National Office, and pay the first year of dues (currently $68), to be declared elected to the Society. Other details, such as eligibility of student who have transferred to the College during medical school, are addressed in the national AΩA Constitution, which can be found at the AΩA website