Each year the LAFP Foundation recognizes outstanding an outstanding medical student and one resident who exemplify outstanding leadership and scholarly accomplishments in the field of family medicine. Each winners were presented with a plaque and stipend check. The winners include:

E. Edward Martin, Jr. Family Medicine Award

The E. Edward Martin, Jr., MD Family Medicine Award was presented to Kirsten Johnson. Ms. Johnson recently completed the Doctor of Medicine Program with the University of Queensland Medical School - Ochsner Health and is dedicated to a career in Family Medicine. Originally from Pennsylvania, she graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Biological Sciences from West Virginia University, where she discovered her passion for community health through volunteering with the Global Medical and Dental Brigades organization. During medical school, Kirsten continued to serve underserved populations as a coordinator and volunteer at Luke’s House Clinic, providing care for uninsured and Spanish-speaking patients in the New Orleans community, and as a volunteer with Floating Doctors in Panama. She was actively involved in mentoring and teaching fellow medical students as a STEP 1 peer tutor, and she worked with community organizations like the New Neighbor Project to teach English to non-native speakers. Kirsten served as President of the Family Medicine Interest Group and is an active member of the research community at Ochsner. In her free time, Kirsten enjoys walking rescue dogs and exploring the vibrant culture of New Orleans.

LSU-Shreveport Michael O. Fleming, MD Award

The Michael O. Fleming MD Family Medicine Award was presented to London Todd.  Ms. Todd  is a medical student who has long dreamed of becoming a physician while continuing to nurture her passion for music. A pianist and vocalist, she performs at local venues, weddings, and events and uses music to serve her community through local churches and Young Adults Louisiana (YALA), where she has been involved for six years. Service is central to London’s life. She volunteers at a homeless shelter and at community health clinics serving individuals in need, where she emphasizes both medical care and healthy lifestyle education. She also serves as a Tiger Ambassador, welcoming prospective students and sharing her enthusiasm for Shreveport. Outside of medicine, London enjoys spending time with her family and her two dogs, Koda and Stella. A lifelong vegetarian, she enjoys cooking, staying active through workouts and tennis, and fostering community through gatherings in her home. As she prepares to begin residency, London looks forward to continuing to serve others through medicine, music, and community engagement.

LSU-New Orleans Gerald R. Gehringer Family Medicine Award

The Gerald R. Gehringer Family Medicine Award was presented to Catherine Thibodeaux.  Ms. Thibodeaux, from Lafayette, Louisiana, will be continuing her training in the Family Medicine Residency program at LSU University Hospital and Clinics in Lafayette. She is an active member of the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians and served as the president of the Family Medicine and Rural Medicine Interest Groups in medical school. She proudly serves as a First Lieutenant in the Louisiana Army National Guard, with seven years of dedicated military service. Dr. Thibodeaux is married to Mr. Colin Thibodeaux, and together they have one son, Dominic, along with their two beloved dogs.

Tulane Family Medicine Excellence Award

The Tulane Family Medicine Excellence Award was presented to Jessica Tran.  Ms. Tran is from New Orleans East and is excited to stay close to home after matching into Family Medicine at East Jefferson General Hospital. She is passionate about public health and community medicine, especially serving our diverse patient population in New Orleans and the surrounding communities. Outside of medicine, she is an avid musician who enjoys playing the piano at home and church while spending time with her family, including her husband and their dog, Bambi.

Michael L. Madden, MD Resident of Excellence Award

The Michael L. Madden Resident Award of Excellence was presented to Brian Doss, MD. Dr. Doss was born in Oklahoma but raised on a horse farm in Texas. His original plan to become a veterinarian went awry when he never grew out of his allergy to horses. Or cats. Or dogs. So that plan was abandoned, and he pursued the medical field instead. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M University and then went on to earn both his public health degree and his medical degree at the University Texas in San Antonio. It was there that he met and eventually married his wife, Rachel. Together, they moved to Shreveport, Louisiana for his Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine residency, which he is set to complete in June. While in residency, they had two boys: Edmund and Phillip. Always content but never satisfied, when he is not practicing medicine or working in his church, you never know what you will find him doing, be it playing with the kids, house remodeling, fence or landscape repairs, writing books/songs, or nestled by the fireplace reading a book. Upon graduation, he will be practicing full scope family medicine with outpatient, inpatient, endoscopy, surgical obstetrics, and emergency medicine.

Help the Foundation continue the tradition of presenting these awards by making a donation via our secure online form.  All donations are tax free and 100% go to support our student and resident activities.  If you have questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Lee Ann Albert at 225.923.3313.