Alumni Association Award Criteria

We're proud of our alumni, and choose to honor their great work and contributions through our alumni awards. Below you will find the criteria for our three annual awards: the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Humanitarian Award, and the Transformational Leadership Award. If you know a UC Davis School of Medicine alumnus who embodies the spirit and values of one of the awards below, please feel free to nominate them at any time using this form.

For a list of past award recipients, click here.

If you have any questions about the awards, or would like more information on the selection process, please do not hesitate to contact the Alumni Office. 

The Distinguished Alumnus Award, established in 1988, was created to give recognition annually to an alumna/us of UC Davis School of Medicine or the UC Davis Medical Center for contributions to society and distinguishing themselves through outstanding achievements in medicine.

Click here to make a nomination for the Distinguished Alumnus Award >>

The Humanitarian Award, established in 1990 was created to give recognition annually to an alumna/us of the UC Davis School of Medicine or the UC Davis Medical Center for outstanding contributions to their community through distinguished public service.

Click here to make a nomination for the Humanitarian Award >>

The recipient of the Transformational Leadership Award is an alumna/us of the UC Davis School of Medicine or Medical Center whose professional achievements and contributions have enhanced the profession, improved the welfare of the general public, provided for personal distinction and brought honor to her/his alma mater.

Click here to make a nomination for the Transformational Leadership Award >>

Annually each spring, the School of Medicine Alumni Association Board of Directors calls on residency and fellowship directors and department chairs for nominations for the annual SOMAA Resident and Clinical Fellow Professionalism Awards.

The purpose of each award is to recognize and honor one resident and one fellow who best exemplifies true professionalism in their work, demonstrating all the qualities of a true and outstanding professional – altruism, courtesy, accountability, empathy, respect, compassion – in their day-to-day work with faculty, patients, co-workers and ancillary staff.

These two awards are presented to the individual recipients at their department’s end-of-academic-year celebrations in June.