Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine students Caryssa Lim and Jacqueline Xu were recently honored with the prestigious Excellence in Public Health Award by the U.S. Public Health Service in recognition of their work to address health inequities in the community. The awards were announced at the KPSOM 2024 Awards and Recognition Celebration at the Pasadena Convention Center.
“The Excellence in Public Health Award honors medical students for advancing the U.S. Public Health Service mission to protect, promote and advance the health and safety of our nation,” said Capt. Jamal Gwathney, Deputy Medical Director of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, who presented the award to the students. Lim was the school’s 2023 recipient and Xu was the 2024 recipient.
Since 2012, the U.S. Public Health Service has given this award to inspire students to commit themselves to public health and to become leaders in the field. The award is open to second-, third-, and fourth-year medical students, and each U.S. medical school can honor one student each year, Gwathney said.
“It is an honor to receive this award from the U.S. National Public Health Service,” said Lim. “Medicine, to me, is both an act of individual compassion and of social justice, and my desire to practice medicine is a part of my larger commitment to fight for public health and health equity. I hope that I can continue to partner with patients, both in and out of the exam room, to work toward health and well-being for all.”
