Congratulations to the University of Pittsburgh Anesthesiology Interest Group (AIG), who were selected by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Medical Student Component (MSC) as winner of the 2015-2016 Outstanding AIG Student Chapter Award. This award distinguishes the group as one of the top AIGs in the nation.
The Pitt AIG was founded nearly 10 years ago and is led primarily by medical students interested in the field. Dr. Michael Mangione serves as faculty advisor to the group, which is also supported by guidance from other key faculty and residents in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology. AIG medical students participate in department events including Grand Rounds, conferences, and teaching and social events. The group is represented on the Medical Student Education Committee and also sends an annual representative to the ASA MSC. The group facilitates mentorship of medical students and early exposure to faculty through a variety of activities such as the annual specialty night, the annual interviewing workshop, and the annual post-match review. This has allowed students to determine an interest in anesthesiology earlier in medical school. In recent years, a notable number of Pitt students have matched into many of the top anesthesiology residency programs in the country.
The award will be announced at the MSC House of Delegates Award Presentations and Networking Breakfast at the annual ASA meeting in Chicago in October 2016. This year's AIG student coordinators are Ragini Gupta (MS4), Milap Rakholia (MS3), and Matthew Kocher (MS2).