Six medical students from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine were recently named “outstanding” for their work during the 2019-20 school year — including one repeat winner.

The annual awards are given to three rising M2 and three rising M3 students.

The now M2 students named Outstanding Students for 2019-20 were Margaret Bohr, Sienna Ringgenberg, and Elizabeth Seeley.

M3s who received awards were Aimee Hite, Zachary Rollins, and Grace Peterson.

Peterson also was named an outstanding student for the 2018-19 school year.

“I was so surprised and humbled to hear that I had been afforded this honor for my M2 year—I wasn’t even aware that I was being considered,” she said.

The M1 and M2 Outstanding Student Awards began in 2012 as course awards. Analogous to the current clerkship awards, an award was granted to a student in each M1 and M2 course. 

In 2014, the decision was made to collapse the M1 and M2 course awards into the Outstanding Student Award for the M1 and M2 classes. It was determined three students in each class would be selected by the 15-member committee.

Qualifying students must be M1s or M2s and have demonstrated excellence in academics, service, leadership, and scholarship. They must also be in good academic standing.

Students are nominated by M1 and M2 course faculty members.

Keith Engwall, chair, Committee on Student Awards and assistant professor, Foundational Medical Studies, said the committee looks at number of nominations, as well as service, leadership, and scholarship information provided by the nominees.

Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship applied to his or her financial aid package for the next academic year. 

‘It has been fantastic’

In the past year, Peterson served as the Medical Student Government (MSG) president and as the president of the OUWB chapter of the American Medical Association. She was elected as one of the MSG senators for the Class of 2022.

Further, she volunteered as one of the OUWB anatomy and organ systems tutors, volunteered at the Mini Medical School, and mentored local students through the OUWB Hispanic Newcomer Outreach (HNO) Mentoring Program. Peterson also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County.

Peterson said learning she had once again been named an outstanding student was especially welcome at this time.

“This news prompted me to fondly recall my experiences from the past year,” she said.

“Overall, I’m just thankful that I have been able to learn and improve alongside my extremely talented classmates for two years now and that we’re heading into this next chapter of our medical training.”

M3 Zachary Rollins said he felt “incredibly grateful to receive the designation of an outstanding student.”

“I chose OUWB because this school provides me with the opportunity to be the physician I aspire to be,” he said. “That is, a physician with a strong foundation of education, clinical research, and active outreach within their community.”

Rollins said he “couldn’t be more pleased with the opportunities OUWB has provided.”

He has volunteered with Score for Success, the Beaumont Future Scholars Program HUB, Beaumont Student Heart Check, Chandler Park Health Fair, and as a tutor for various OUWB courses.  Rollins also served as secretary for the Advocates for Global Health and Human Rights organization at OUWB.

“It has been fantastic to be involved with a school where there is so much support to find ways to benefit the local community and the ability to get involved in research,” said Rollins. “This school has given me the opportunity to thrive and be myself.”

M3 Aimee Hite said she “was both surprised and humbled when I received this award.” She gave much of the credit to others.

“The Class of 2022 is filled with kind, intelligent, and devoted students,” she said. “I would not have made it this far without help from many of my classmates along the way.”

Hite has served as an MSG senator, treasurer of the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation student interest group, and student coordinator for the Med-Peds Interest Group. She volunteers with numerous groups, including the HNO program.

Hite said one of her favorite volunteer efforts was through the Med-Peds Adopt-a-Family fundraiser, which has raised more than $20,000 to provide holiday gifts for families in need.   

‘I feel so lucky’

M2 Sienna Ringgenberg said she was “very surprised” to learn she had received the “outstanding student” award. 

“I have always felt that (OUWB) encouraged and supported me when I expressed interest in being involved in curricular and co-curricular activities on a deeper level, but to receive an award specifically highlighting the effort I have put in feels extremely special,” she said. “I continue to be grateful for my community.” 

Activities she took part in during her first year included: committee member for the Pediatric Interest Group’s annual roast; mentor in the Classroom Connection program; mentor in HNO; Internal Medicine Interest Group M1 representative; Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee M1 representative; volunteer with the COVID Response Network of Oakland County; lab volunteer at the Beaumont Royal Oak Biobank COVID-19 Serology study. 

Ringgenberg extended a “warm congratulations” to the other outstanding student award recipients.

M2 Elizabeth Seeley said she felt “very honored” to receive the award.

“I feel so lucky to be part of the OUWB community and to have such hard-working, kind, and passionate classmates that inspire me and challenge me every day,” she said. “Being surrounded by so many outstanding students and faculty members that work together and support one another has been an amazing experience and has helped me grow in ways I did not expect.”

Among Seeley’s extracurricular activities are student coordinator for HNO and as a member of executive board for the Pediatric Interest Group and Latino Medical Student Association.

M2 Margaret Bohr was “shocked” when she learned she had been named one of the outstanding students.

“I am very honored to have even been considered for this award,” she said. “I know those who selected this year’s outstanding students had a very difficult job considering just how many of my classmates are deserving of such recognition.

Bohr’s extracurricular activities include volunteering for Score for Success and HNO, along with leadership roles in the Robert J. Lucas Surgical Society, Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Interest Group, and Association of Women Surgeons chapter at OUWB.

Bohr also thanked “everyone who has made my first year of medical school so unforgettable, and I hope to live up to this designation in the years to come.”

“I am incredibly grateful for all of the support I have received from faculty and friends at OUWB, and my success this year would not have been possible without them,” she said.

For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, marketing writer, OUWB, at [email protected]. 

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