Membership into AOA is one of the highest honors a student is eligible for during medical school, as only a small fraction of a class is even eligible for this distinction. The Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society is a national honor society for medical students, residents, scientists, and physicians in the United States and Canada. Only the top medical students are elected, based on criteria such as grades, leadership, ethics, and so on. No more than one-sixth of a medical school's graduating class can be members of ΑΩΑ; most of these are elected as fourth-year students ("senior ΑΩΑ") although up to one-half of them may be elected as third-year students ("junior ΑΩΑ"). Membership in ΑΩΑ has become highly sought after, especially for those applying to competitive residencies (such as Radiation Oncology, Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, Ophthalmology, and Orthopaedics). In some of the top residency programs for the most competitive fields, membership may be a de facto requirement in order to obtain a spot. AOA is the best-recognized medical school award and usually assures at least an interview with any residency program in the US. See alphaomegaalpha.org for more info.