For more information, contact: Boonshoft
School of Medicine Marketing and Communications, Cindy
Young at (937) 775-2951, or Phillip
Neal at (937) 775-4587.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2009
Matthew Pellerite, M.P.H., to receive humanism, global service
awards alongside M.D. degree
Pellerite will be honored during commencement ceremony for the
WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine class of 2009
DAYTON, Ohio—Matthew M. Pellerite, M.P.H., will receive more than
his M.D. degree during a commencement ceremony for the Wright State University
Boonshoft School of Medicine class of 2009 on May 22. In addition to
officially becoming a physician, Pellerite will be singled out for two
special awards presented during the ceremony, which will take place in
the Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton.
Nominated by his classmates and teachers, Pellerite will receive the prestigious
Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award for a graduating medical student. The
Arnold P. Gold Foundation sponsors the annual Humanism in Medicine Awards at
more than 80 of the nation’s medical schools. The foundation’s goal
is to improve doctor/patient relations and foster health care professionals who
exhibit the highest level of respect, sensitivity and cultural competence for
the patients and families they serve, and to nurture and perpetuate the tradition
of the “caring doctor.”
Pellerite was chosen for the award for his “consistency in demonstrating
compassion and empathy in the delivery of health care to patients and
their families.” In addition, Pellerite will receive the Global
Service Award, which recognizes his significant volunteer work in medical
school, including service abroad in a medically underserved area.
A student in the medical school’s innovative dual degree program,
Pellerite completed an integrated five-year curriculum leading to both
a medical degree and a master’s degree in public health. Despite
the demanding course work, Pellerite participated in many activities
and earned numerous honors and awards during medical school. He served
as vice president of the WSU American Medical Students Association (AMSA)
chapter, as a delegate to the Association of American Medical Schools
(AAMC) Organization of Student Representatives, and as a class representative.
Pellerite was also active in the International Health Program and served
as co-director of the Global Health Initiative student organization for
one year. In 2007, he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society.
A native of Olmstead Falls in suburban Cleveland, Pellerite graduated
from Olmstead Falls High School before earning a B.S. in natural sciences
from Xavier University in Cincinnati. Following his graduation from Wright
State, Pellerite will move on to a residency in pediatrics at the University
of Chicago Medical Center.
The Gold Foundation sponsors a Humanism in Medicine Award for faculty
members as well. The 2009 faculty award went to S. Bruce Binder, M.D.,
Ph.D., associate professor of family medicine and assistant professor
of pharmacology and toxicology. Binder directs the Introduction to Clinical
Medicine courses, which help first- and second-year students hone their
clinical skills while striving to build relationships with patients and
provide effective, compassionate care.
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Editor’s note: For more information or to schedule an interview
contact: Phillip Neal, Marketing and Communications, Wright State University
Boonshoft School of Medicine, (937) 775-4587 or phillip.neal@wright.edu.
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