Named after visionary Dr. Sam Shikany, the College of Medicine Shikany Student Excellence Awards are given to medical students who embody inspiration and service to the community. We’re excited to see MD students Britta Bunnel and David Frolov receive this year’s awards.
Britta Bunnel received the Inspirational Award and one nominator said:
She is inspirational through her evident compassion and care for our community (in Washington State) – she sees needs beyond her obvious sphere of influence. She has been a student leader for our Pasco outreach program and she has communicated in the most professional of manners, regarding passing the torch for this program to another student so that younger students in our state will continue to receive the message that they matter and that we seek their contribution to healthcare. In a world with diminishing examples of professional, compassionate communication and a world where minority groups can be dismissed and forgotten, I am inspired by these young adults at our college.
David Frolov received the Service Award and one of his nominators said:
David is one of several leaders in an Orthopedic Surgery mentorship group (both for youth and medical student peers) at the College of Medicine. David’s maturity, kindness, and organizational skills stand out above others I engage with. He has a soft spoken but firm demeanor that are pleasant, but more than that, he follows through with his commitments. This is something many medical school students are learning and balancing as their responsibilities escalate. I appreciate David’s commitment to himself (he knows when to say no), but more than that his influence on new MS1 students wanting to gain exposure to the field of orthopedics. David and his team have gathered, taught, and stewarded residency information for the sole purpose of helping the next wave of students not have to seek out the knowledge they have already acquired. This is admirable and makes a difference.
More about the Shikany Awards
Shikany Inspirational Award: This award acknowledges a second-year medical student whose outstanding character has inspired classmates and faculty through leadership or academic achievement.
Shikany Service Award: This award acknowledges a second-year medical for their outstanding service to the class, to the school, or to the local community.
About Dr. Sam Shikany: Dr. Sam Shikany received his medical degree from Loyola University in 1938 and subsequently did his internship at Sacred Heart Medical Center (SHMC) in Spokane. He was in solo practice in Spokane throughout his career as a primary care physician. After his “retirement” in 1976, he became medical director for the SHMC Employee Health Services, and also helped establish a downtown clinic for the poor, at what is now called House of Charity. During 16 years of volunteer service, Sacred Heart placed his “salary” into an endowment account. Dr. Shikany later asked that the money be used for primary care education to “give back” to the Spokane medical community that he loved so much.
Dr. Shikany left a legacy of care for his patients and his colleagues in medicine. The Shikany endowment is a gift to present and future medical caregivers in our region. When a person plants a tree, they seldom believe that they will profit from its shade or fruit. Instead they are contributing to the welfare of future generations. Dr. Shikany was one of those generous and visionary contributors to the Spokane medical community.