The Student Awards Luncheon is held in early December each year to recognize medical students for high achievement in academics, humanity and research. Some peer-elected, others faculty-chosen, all recipients are identified as exemplary in their respective area of accolade.

Winners are generally notified by the dean or by the faculty member who is presenting the award. The event, by invitation only, is attended by Dean Perlmutter, award presenters and recipients, and other invited staff and faculty.

Student awards include:

The Morris Alex, MD Prize is awarded each year to the medical student who is outstanding among his or her peers in the second year Practice of Medicine course.

The American College of Physicians Award for Excellence in Physical Diagnosis is given to a student annually for outstanding performance in the second year Practice of Medicine course.

The Missouri State Medical Association Student Scholarships are awarded annually to medical students who graduated from Missouri high schools in recognition of their high undergraduate academic achievement.

The Irwin Levy Prize in Neurology and Neurological Surgery was established in 1980 by friends of Dr. Levy as a tribute to his commitment to clinical teaching. This prize is awarded to the student who presents the best performance in neurology and neurological surgery.

The Ruth Bebermeyer Award honors her many years of service to the Alumni Association and to the students of the School of Medicine. It is awarded to the student who has shown extraordinary kindness and sensitivity to the needs of others.

The Class of 2001 Award recognizes outstanding performance in the areas of community service and student group activities during the first two years of medical school.

The Class of 2003 Award is dedicated to the memory of three classmates who died in a car accident, and is awarded to second year students recognized by peers as being selfless, exceptionally kind to others, and dedicated to the highest standards in medicine, traits for which these classmates will be remembered.

The Doctor Richard S. Brookings Medical School Prizes were provided through a bequest of Mr. Robert Brookings in honor of his father, Dr. Richard Brookings, to recognize outstanding student performance in the medical school curriculum.

The Robert Carter Medical School Prizes were provided through a bequest of Mr. Robert Brookings in honor of his maternal grandfather Robert Carter, an industrialist and farmer, to recognize outstanding student performance in the medical school curriculum.

The Nathan Edward Hellman, MD, PhD, Memorial Award recognizes a second year medical student as selected by a vote of fellow classmates. The award recognizes a student with a strong track record of accomplishments and an interest in academic medicine, and whose humanism, collegiality, humor and compassion are an inspiration to members of the class.

The Herrmann Prize was created by Dr. Paul Herrmann (MD ’61) and his wife, Susan, to recognize a student who is considered a thoughtful and sensitive communicator in the clinical arena and whose listening and communication skills every patient hopes their physician will possess.

The Jessie L. Ternberg Award is presented to a woman who best exemplifies Dr. Ternberg’s indomitable spirit of determination, perseverance, and dedication to her patients.

The McGraw Hill/Lange Medical Student Award is presented to students in recognition of their high scholastic standing.

The Medical Center Alumni Scholarship Fund Prize is given annually to a student who has shown excellence in his or her work during the preceding year.

The Carl F. and Gerty T. Cori Prize in Biochemistry is awarded at the end of the first year to the class member who has demonstrated superior scholarship in Biochemistry.

The David F. Silbert Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, which was established in the memory of Dr. Silbert, is awarded to a teaching assistant in a medical school course in recognition of a commitment to teaching.

The Kehar S. Chouke-George Gill Prize in Anatomy is awarded annually to a medical student who has demonstrated superior scholarship in Human Anatomy.

The Roy R. Peterson Prize in Anatomy is awarded for outstanding performance in the Human Anatomy course and in recognition of Dr. Peterson’s many contributions as a teacher in the School of Medicine.

The Doctor James L. O’Leary Neuroscience Prize is awarded annually to a student who demonstrates accomplishment in the Neuroscience course.

The American College of Physicians Clerkship Award was established in 1992 and recognizes a student completing the third year of study with meritorious achievement in the Internal Medicine Clinical Clerkship.

The Dr. William A. Rubenstein Award in Medicine is awarded to a 4th year student who shows a serious interest in pursuing a career in internal medicine and who demonstrates the exceptional qualities of a gifted physician, including compassion, caring, and the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

The Dr. Frank O. Richards Medical Student Scholarship Prizes are provided by African-American alumni and friends of Washington University School of Medicine. The prizes are awarded to Minority Scholarship recipients in recognition of their achievements in the first and second years of the curriculum.

The Doctor Helen E. Nash Academic Achievement Award is given annually to a student who has exhibited an unusual degree of the qualities of industry, perseverence, determination and enthusiasm. The prize is given in honor of Dr. Helen Nash, a pediatrician noted in the St. Louis community for her commitment to excellence, tireless advocacy on behalf of children, and endless enthusiasm for the field of medicine.

The Washington University Summer Research Prize recognizes students for meritorious research in the Summer Research Fellowship Program at Washington University School of Medicine.

The Edmund V. Cowdry Prize in Histology was established in 1969 to honor Dr. Cowdry and is awarded to a medical student who has performed meritoriously in Microscopic Anatomy.

The Antoinette Frances Dames Award in Cell Biology and Physiology is awarded annually to members of the first year class who have demonstrated superior scholarship in these fields.

The Howard A. McCordock Prize in Pathology is awarded after the second year to a member of that class for general excellence in pathology.

The Doctor Margaret G. Smith Award is given to a woman medical student for outstanding achievement in the second year of medical school.

The Steven Dresler Prize is awarded to a student who has demonstrated a commitment to promoting social good, civil rights and civil liberties through social action and volunteerism.