

Schoenherr called it “a great honor to be inducted. (From left, Schoenherr, Dokter, and Spillenger got together for the AOA induction ceremony. I am impressed by all my classmates’ achievements, who inspire me to work hard and be the best physician I can be.” “I am thankful to the friends I have made here who have supported me during difficult times. “I am grateful for the opportunities provided by OUWB that have allowed me to pursue my passions, both inside and outside of medicine,” said Dokter. In addition to Sharrak, OUWB students inducted this year were:

For 2020, COVID-19 forced the event to move from its traditional location at Meadow Brook Hall to a virtual setting. OUWB holds its induction ceremonies annually in October.

A selection committee makes the final determination. Of those applicants, the top 16 percent are selected for induction based on academic awards, leadership, awards received, research conducted and published, as well as community service. Only the top 25 percent in academic achievement are invited to apply. More than 30 of those were elected to AOA prior to winning the Nobel Prize.Įligible students must be from a school’s next graduating class. More than 50 Nobel Prize winners in physiology, medicine and chemistry have been AOA members. and has elected more than 183,000 members since its founding. About 3,500 people are inducted into this society annually.ĪOA has 132 chapters in medical schools throughout the U.S. Sharrak also became one of more than 100 OUWB medical students inducted into AOA since the school’s inception.Īlpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society is an international society recognizing students, alumni, and faculty who dedicate themselves to the medical profession. “After the ceremony, I came out with the pin on and all of the customers were so excited for me because they’ve known my brother and I since we were born,” Sharrak said. “It was the first time the four of us could be at an event like this together,” she said, noting the demands of the family business often prevent such occasions. The fact that it took place at the family’s business - a place Aryana said is a strong part of her identity - made it even more special, she said. from Iraq at age 16 - had beaming smiles as he took a break from business to pin her with the AOA lapel pin Sharrak, along with her father, mother, and brother, participated in the ceremony via laptop and tablet set up in the back room of White Lake Township-based Graceland Wine Shoppe - a favorite stop for many known for its Elvis-themed décor, delicious gyros, and more.īoth Sharrak and her father - who emigrated to the U.S. The virtual event was held Tuesday with friends, spouses, and other family members invited. Sharrak, a fourth-year medical student at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, was among 18 OUWB Class of 2021 members inducted Tuesday into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Aryana Sharrak has a lot of memories from her family’s popular Oakland County store, but perhaps one of the most memorable happened just this week.
