Banquet honors graduating medical students, legacy of caring
The 39th annual Andrew A. Best, MD Senior Recognition Banquet honored an eastern North Carolina legacy in medicine — and celebrated the graduating members of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
The Jan. 21 banquet, hosted by Brody’s chapter of the SNMA and the Andrew Best Medical Society, was held at ECU’s Murphy Center and celebrated Best as an important contributor to the advancement of medical students from groups that the Association of American Medical Colleges considers to be underrepresented in medicine — Black, Hispanic and Native American.
Cedric Bright, interim vice dean and associate dean for admissions at the Brody School of Medicine, addresses the audience during the 39th annual Andrew A. Best, MD Senior Recognition Banquet. (Photos by Cliff Hollis)
Fifteen Brody students were also honored for their efforts through SNMA to carry Best’s legacy through their positive impact on the community, initiatives in addressing health disparities, academic excellence and aspirations as culturally responsible physicians.
“Understanding the history of Dr. Andrew Best and trying to keep his vision alive as we enter the field of medicine is why it is so important that Student National Medical Association members at Brody keep this tradition going,” said Ashley Moore, Brody student and banquet co-chair. “This event allows so many busy health care professional students, faculty members and sponsors to unite and embrace uplifting each other, recognizing each other’s achievements and celebrating success.”
Best helped orchestrate the desegregation of East Carolina College, the Greenville business community and Pitt County Memorial Hospital (now ECU Health Medical Center). His contributions prompted his appointments to the ECU Board of Trustees and the UNC Board of Governors. In Greenville, the Andrew A. Best Freedom Park honors his work, while a bridge of the same name connects the medical district with ECU and Uptown Greenville. In 2006, Best posthumously received ECU’s highest service award, the Jarvis Medal, in recognition of his service.
“Through Dr. Best’s life and career, he was a champion for bringing parties of different backgrounds, creeds and races together for the greater good,” said Michael Denning, secretary of Brody’s chapter of the SNMA. “This banquet honors this value by hosting community members, medical school and ECU Health leadership and health sciences students.”
Sandy Acheampong, or “Dr. A,” assistant dean in Brody’s Office of Student Success and Wellness, gave the keynote address during the banquet.
Event co-chair Vanessa Amabo said Best’s legacy goes hand in hand with Brody’s mission to enhance access to a medical education for students from under-represented groups.
“All the students of Brody are here today because Dr. Best fought and advocated for a medical school at ECU. … Many of our students have desires to fulfill obligations to their community in going back to serve, something we can emulate from Dr. Best,” Amabo said. “I think that is why the Best Banquet is an important tradition in the Brody School of Medicine. It celebrates all of the core missions of the school.”
The Best Banquet honored an eastern North Carolina medical legacy and celebrated 15 Brody students who are active in Brody’s chapter of the Student National Medical Association.
In addition to celebrating Best, the event honored 15 student members of the SNMA: “smart, compassioned and talented doctors who will change the face of medicine,” Amabo said, adding that the students help pave the way for others from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds to “have the opportunity and platform in medicine to do what they can, while they can, and however they can, to serve and transform the world around them for as long as they can.”
The SNMA provides opportunities for students to begin making a difference as early as during their pre-medical education. It is the oldest and largest medical student organization committed to serving underserved communities. SNMA develops initiatives aimed at eliminating health disparities among communities and strives to make concerted efforts to raise the levels of recruitment, admission and retention of students from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds in medical schools.
Lisa Moreno-Walton, associate dean for diversity and professor of emergency medicine at Brody, said Best’s legacy and the thriving SNMA community within Brody are “creating a diverse cohort of excellent physicians” who are not only prepared for the rigorous academic and clinical work required to succeed at the highest level of medical practice, “but who also are compassionate human beings with a strong commitment to social justice. Dr. Best was committed to giving each patient what they needed for optimal health. We are proud to carry on his tradition.”
Brody student Hanifah Hendricks was honored during the banquet and has been part of the SNMA since 2015 when she was a pre-medical student. She also served as president of Brody’s chapter of the organization. She said being part of the group has given her vital experiences being active supporting under-represented students in medicine and addressing the needs of underserved communities.
“I’m proud to continue to do this work for the rest of my career and life,” Hendricks said. “My classmates and I will spread across the nation in a few short months. If we each do our part, there is no limit to the number of minority and underserved communities we can impact.
“With Brody continuing to recruit minority and disadvantaged students, and with the Student National Medical Association continuing to do what’s necessary to increase the number of culturally competent and socially conscious physicians, we can continue to honor the legacy of Dr. Andrew A. Best and use the privilege we have in our roles as physicians and future physicians to better this community.”