AMA Foundation Honors Albany Medical College Student as an Outstanding Leader in Medicine

Misty C. Richards, MS, a student at Albany Medical College, has been named a recipient of the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation’s 2011 Leadership Award. This award provides medical students, residents/fellows and early career physicians from around the country with special training to develop their skills as future leaders in organized medicine and community affairs. 

The AMA Foundation honored 30 individuals with the award at its annual Excellence in Medicine Awards ceremony on February 8 in Washington D.C. Presented in association with Pfizer Inc, recipients of the award are recognized for demonstrating outstanding non-clinical leadership skills in advocacy, community service and education.  Ms. Richards is one of only 24 medical students in the nation to receive a leadership award.

Currently in her third year of an MD/MS program, Ms. Richards is interested in primary care and global medicine. She received her Master of Science degree in neuroscience last May. She is a Fulbright Scholar and completed a graduate fellowship as part of her master’s degree in Tokyo, Japan, during the 2008-2009 academic year. In her second year, Ms. Richards co-founded a medical clinic in rural Uganda called the Engeye Health Clinic. The clinic is the only source of health care for miles and has treated over 35,000 patients to date. Additionally, Ms. Richards has served as the national student president of the American Medical Women’s Association where she helped rebuild an active student division from the ground up.

“As our nation continues to struggle with issues of access, disease prevention and disparities in care, encouraging the next generation of leaders is critical,” said Barney R. Maynard, MD, AMA Foundation President.  “We need individuals like these award recipients who are taking the initiative to tackle health care’s most difficult challenges.”

The AMA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt foundation, is the philanthropic arm of the AMA and is committed to improving the health of Americans through support of quality programs in public health and medical education.  Their programs include grants for free clinics and healthy lifestyles projects, medical student scholarships and health literacy initiatives. Visit www.amafoundation.org to learn more.