AMA Foundation honors UC Davis medical student with Leadership Award

Adam Dougherty, a second-year student at the UC Davis School of Medicine recently received the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation's 2012 Leadership Award. This award provides medical students, residents, fellows and early career physicians from around the country with special training to develop their skills as future leaders in organized medicine and community affairs.

Adam Dougherty, second from right, accepts his award from AMA President Peter Carmel, far right. At the left are AMA Foundation President Owen Garrick and Jack Watters, Pfizer's Vice President of External Affairs.

Dougherty was among 30 recipients of the award at the AMA Foundation's annual Excellence in Medicine Awards ceremony in Washington D.C. Recipients of the award are recognized for demonstrating outstanding non-clinical leadership skills in advocacy, community service and education. The AMA Foundation presented the awards in association with Pfizer Inc.

Prior to enrolling at the UC Davis School of Medicine, Dougherty was the policy director at Insure the Uninsured Project, a health-policy think tank located in Los Angeles. Dougherty has published numerous reports and white papers on federal and state health-policy topics, with notable focus on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Dougherty currently holds leadership positions with the AMA, the California Medical Association, the California Academy of Family Physicians and the local medical society journal, Sierra Sacramento Valley Medicine.

Dougherty is also the policy coordinator for the Men's Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association, and recently accepted a position on the Sacramento County Public Health Advisory Board. Dougherty maintains a blog with more information about him and his health-policy commentaries.