Skip to main content

Biochemistry grad honored at West Virginia University

Samantha Smith, a 2011 North Carolina State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and chemistry, recently received the Patricia “Pat” Fedeles Award for Compassion in Physical Diagnosis given by the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

The award is given annually to a second-year WVU School of Medicine student who portrays ongoing compassion, friendliness and an overall caring attitude toward patients, peers, faculty and staff. Smith is the seventh winner of the award.

Patricia Fedeles, for whom the award is named, served as coordinator for the School of Medicine’s Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Physical Diagnosis courses from 1992 until 2006, when she retired while battling cancer. She passed away in January 2007.

Fedeles always treated people fairly and with a caring attitude and truly enjoyed working with students, striving to make each one feel special and confident in achieving his or her goals. Fedeles stressed the importance of proper bedside manner during patient care. She emphasized that each patient should be treated as a human being and not just a number, and that is exactly how Fedeles treated her students: with unconditional compassion and understanding.

Smith was nominated for the award by her peers.

D. Caldwell

Leave a Response