The AMA Women Physicians Section (WPS) Inspiration Award honors and acknowledges physicians who have offered their time, wisdom and support throughout the professional careers of fellow physicians, residents and students. This year, more than 100 women and men in medicine who have made a difference in the professional life of others were selected to receive the award.

“I consider it a great privilege to train future generations of physicians through my work at the Netter School of Medicine,” Dr. Thomas said. “I am truly honored to be nominated for the AMA Inspiration Award by the medical students who I have had the opportunity to teach and engage with on a regular basis. This pandemic year has been a great challenge for all of us, especially those of us on the front lines, and the fact that our students took the extra time to go through this nomination process is a wonderful demonstration of their selflessness and dedication.”

Dr. Thomas, who also is a practicing emergency physician at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, was nominated for the award by Laura Cantu and Nicole McAmis, two medical students at Quinnipiac.

“Dr. Thomas is the backbone of my medical education,” Cantu said. “She is a woman of color and an excellent mentor, educator and emergency physician. As COVID tore through her community and her own close relations, Dr. Thomas continued to work the frontline while organizing educational opportunities for medical students to learn how the pandemic was being handled. She organized for alumni to share their experiences as residents, for our legal ethical consultant to discuss the approach to tough ethical dilemmas in medicine, and for leading black activists to educate us about the intersection of race and COVID. Dr. Thomas is a phenomenal woman physician who deserves recognition for the vast and impactful work she performs.”

McAnis said Dr. Thomas has had a huge impact on her life.

“She was one of the first people to believe in me, one of the first people to never doubt my abilities, and for that, I am truly grateful,” McAnis said. “She gave me the best advice throughout my now fourth-year application process for residency and has also been an invaluable mentor in research.”

Dr. Lyuba Konopasek, senior associate dean for education and professor of medical sciences at Quinnipiac, said, “Dr. Thomas is an inspiration to us all. The award is the perfect tribute to her deep commitment and tireless work on behalf of our students.”

Dr. Thomas, who joined the Quinnipiac faculty in 2013, has a medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. She also has an MBA from Quinnipiac and a bachelor’s degree from New York University, where she was a pre-med student majoring in honors psychology.