Congratulations to the 2016 recipients of the T.A. Sappington Award. This prestigious award is given to student members who have demonstrated their commitment to family medicine by choosing to attend a Georgia Family Medicine Residency Program.
This year we recognize:
Afua Akhi-Gbade from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University who plans to attend the Emory University Family Medicine Residency Program in Atlanta.
Natalie Britt from Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah who will attend the Memorial Health Family Medicine Residency Program in Savannah.
Kayla Dziuba from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwanee who is planning to attend the Floyd Family Medicine Residency Program in Rome.
Monique Merritt from the Morehouse School of Medicine who will attend the Morehouse Family Medicine Residency Program in East Point.
Best of luck to the Sappington winners as they transition to residency programs in Georgia!
Congratulations goes out to Edward Agabin, MD, who was voted to be the Georgia Academy Resident of the Year for his strong leadership abilities and dedication to family medicine at Augusta University, Medical College of Georgia Family Medicine Residency Program. According to Dr. Julie Dahl-Smith, Dr. Agabin has excelled in leadership as well as clinical abilities. He is very active in both policy-making and residency recruitment. He was elected Chief Resident by his peers, and served as a primary voting member of the Graduate Education Committee and Electronic Health Records Residency Advisory Committee as well as serving as an Alternate Delegate for the GAFP Congress of Delegates in 2015. Attending physicians have referred to him as “efficient, thorough, and knowledgeable.” In addition to being extremely competent, he is also kind, compassionate, and empathetic, developing great rapport with the patients and staff. Truly an outstanding resident!
The Resident of the Year receives an engraved plaque along with a pair of tickets to the President’s event during the Georgia Academy’s Annual Meeting in November, where he will be recognized.
This year, the Georgia Academy Keith Ellis Award winner for Chief/Co-Chief Resident goes to Naheed Lakhani, MD from the Emory University Family Medicine Residency Program in Atlanta. Her Program Director, Dr. Teresa Lianne Beck states that Dr. Lakhani’s organizational, teaching and mentoring skills have been invaluable to the residency program in creating and maintaining call schedules and managing the logistical, interpersonal and professionalism issues inherent to any residency training program. Her lead role in residency recruitment was a key factor in helping Emory achieve another successful recruiting season. Her teaching and mentoring of medical students and fellow residents has made a significant impact on the quality of training that their students and residents receive. She has played key roles helping revive the Tar Wars program at Emory and organize free health screenings and preventive health education for the local community.
Dr. Lakhani has earned the respect and admiration of her patients, support staff, fellow residents and faculty. Her hard work, dedication and positive attitude is reflected daily in the way she approaches her personal and professional life. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership, clinical and academic excellence throughout her residency training.
The Keith Ellis award winner receieves a free trip to our annual meeting this November along with registration and attendance at the President’s event where she will be recognized.