Alpha Omega Alpha, founded in 1902, is the national medical honor society. Its mission is dedicated to the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for all by recognizing high educational achievement; honoring gifted teaching; encouraging the development of leaders in academia and the community; supporting the ideals of humanism; and promoting service to others.
The Richard L. Byyny Fellow in Leadership aims to recognize and support the development of outstanding mid-career physician leaders. It acknowledges the complexity of leadership in medicine, medical education, and healthcare in the 21st century, emphasizing the need for leaders who are inspiring, insightful, engaging, and humble. The fellowship is designed for AΩA members to spend a year honing their leadership skills and expanding their knowledge base in areas such as leading from within using a first-person methodology, servant leadership, self-examination, a structured curriculum on leadership topics, mentoring, experiential learning, and team-based learning. This program is dedicated to creating leaders who both understand and represent the needs of patients, physicians, medical educators, and trainees, with a commitment to the core professional and personal values and ideals of servant leadership.