1. Home
  2. Students
  3. Student Affairs
  4. Alpha Omega Alpha

Alpha Omega Alpha

Faculty Councilors

Alpha Omega Alpha Leadership Team

AOA Faculty Councilor (MetroHealth) (lead)

David Kaelber, MD, PhD, MPH, FAAP, FACP, FACMI, FAMIA 

Professor of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, CWRU

Chief Medical Informatics Officer/VP of Health Informatics and Patient Engagement Technologies, The MetroHealth System

david.kaelber@case.edu

AOA Faculty Councilor (University Hospitals)

[vacant]

AOA Faculty Councilor (Cleveland Clinic)

Sofya Asfaw, MD, FACS 

Assistant Professor Surgery, CCLCM of CWRU

General Surgery and Anesthesia

Cleveland Clinic 

ASFAWS@ccf.org

AOA Faculty Councilor (Veterans Administration Hospital of Cleveland)

Nadim El Chakhtoura, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Medicine, CWRU School of Medicine 

Medical Director, Community Living Centers 

Sections of Acute Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine 

Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Ohio Health System, Cleveland

nadim.elchakhtoura@va.gov 

AOA Advisor

Steven Ricanati, MD

Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, CWRU

Associate Dean, Office of Student Affairs, CWRU SOM

Dean, Wearn Society, CWRU SOM

steven.ricanati@case.edu

AOA Coordinator

Dawn Reid

casemed-aoa@case.edu

Sheild and pin with AOA 1902 written on it

 

Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) is the national medical honor society with the overall vision to promote and recognize excellence in the profession of medicine in all of its forms. The CWRU chapter of AOA is the third (Gamma) chapter started nationally and the first (Alpha) chapter in Ohio.  The school's AOA chapter is managed by the CWRU SOM Office of Student Affairs and encompasses both University Program and Lerner College program medical students, faculty, and alumni.

The three Greek letters "AΩA" are the initials of the essential words in the Honor Medical Society's motto, which translates to “Be worthy to serve the suffering.”

AOA Mission

Alpha Omega Alpha is dedicated to the belief that in the profession of medicine, we will improve care for all by:
- Recognizing high educational achievement;
- Honoring gifted teaching;
- Encouraging the development of leaders in academia and the community;
- Supporting the ideals of humanism; and
- Promoting service to others.

Awards and Programs

Alpha Omega Alpha supports many fellowships, grants, programs, and awards for medical students and physicians, and publishes a quarterly peer-reviewed medical humanities journal, The Pharos. This publication contains articles on nontechnical medical subjects, including history, ethics, national issues, personal essays, and poetry. The following awards are available to medical students enrolled at CWRU SOM (either the University or Lerner College programs). Students do not need to be members of AOA to receive an award.

The Pharos Poetry Award
Award granted for meaningful poetry related to health or medicine. Cash awards of $600 for first place; $350 for second place; and $200 for third place. The three winning entries will be published in The Pharos.

Helen H. Glaser Student Essay Award
Award granted for creative narratives or scholarly essays relevant to medicine. Winning essays will be published in the Autumn issue of The Pharos. Cash awards of $1,500 for first place; $1,000 for second place; and $850 for third place.
 
Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship
This fellowship offers funds ($5,000 + $1,000 travel expenses) that are expected to be the main source of support for research conducted either during a continual period of a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks; 30 hours or more per week; or an average of 4 hours per week for 12 months over a period of 1 to 2 years. The research should focus on clinical investigation, basic laboratory research, epidemiology, social science/health services research, leadership, or professionalism.

Medical Student Service Leadership Project Grant​​​
AOA is committed to preparing future leaders in medicine and health care. Leadership is about making a positive difference and can be developed through education, observation, experience, and by working with leader mentors. Service learning provides excellent opportunities for students to develop as servant leaders. Only one team from each school may be nominated. CWRU SOM was the winner of a 2023 Medical Student Service Leadership Project Grant for a project titled: “Food as Medicine: A Community-Centered, Industry to Hospital Approach to Bridging the Gap Between Food and Health for Underprivileged Patients.”
 

CWRU AOA Chapter History

The Alpha Omega Alpha chapter at Case Western Reserve University (initially Western Reserve University) was formed in 1903 and was the third (gamma) chapter created nationally and the first (alpha) chapter created in Ohio.  The CWRU Alpha Omega Alpha chapter has inducted over two thousand inductees, including:

  • 5 Charter members from 1903
  • 38 Alumni
  • 75 Faculty 
  • 34 Residents/Fellows
  • 1,858 Students

People connected with CWRU have received several Alpha Omega Alpha grants and awards, including:

Over the years, CWRU medical students have contributed valuable insights to the field of medical education by writing white papers on significant topics. These papers covered a range of subjects, including student debt and financial literacy to social media. By exploring these issues, the students highlighted current challenges and innovative strategies to address them. Their work reflects a commitment to advancing medical education for future generations. Their efforts underscore the role of medical students as active contributors to their own learning environments and the future of healthcare education.

AOA Elections

At this time, the CWRU AOA Chapter is not electing any new medical students, residents, fellows, faculty, or alumni members.

More Information

Additional information about AOA nationally can be found on the AOA website or in this helpful pamphlet. Inquiries or questions can be sent to the CWRU AOA email at casemed-aoa@case.edu.