Two recent graduates of the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita have earned the Lawrence E. Lamb Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes awarded by KU School of Medicine.

Bliss Baird, M.D., earned the Lawrence E. Lamb Prize for Medical Teaching, and Sofia de la O Bahr, M.D., earned the Lawrence E. Lamb Prize for Medical Practice. The annual recognition celebrates three top graduating medical students at KU and memorializes KU alumnus Larry Lamb, M.D.

Baird said she was honored to receive the prize from the institution that shaped her passion for medical education.

“I started KU School of Medicine with a mere inkling of interest in teaching, and the inspiring faculty and myriad of opportunities cultivated growth I could not have imagined four years ago,” she said. “I am beyond grateful for the innumerable ways KU has invested in my ability to serve others as a medical educator, and the Lamb Prize is such an incredible conclusion to my medical school journey.”

Both Baird and de la O Bahr graduated medical school with honors, having served in numerous leadership and volunteer roles in the community, including key leadership roles at JayDoc Community Clinic. In partnership with Guadalupe Clinic, the student-run JayDoc Community Clinic provides free medical care to the uninsured in Wichita and Sedgwick County while giving medical, premedical and pharmacy students an opportunity to serve the community and gain clinical experience.

On the clinic’s board of directors, most recently serving as director of education, Baird served more than 300 hours at the JayDoc Community Clinic, mentoring junior medical students, pharmacy students and premedical students. She also served as president of the Medical Education Student Interest Group, among other leadership roles.

Baird's "sustained contributions to medical education at KU have been truly commendable, with a dual emphasis on supporting peers in their knowledge attainment and being a positive partner in curriculum monitoring and development processes,” her nominator wrote. “ … Her kindness, approachability and unwavering dedication to the education of future health care professionals set her apart.”

De la O Bahr, who served as a premedical volunteer, junior executive director and then senior executive director at JayDoc Community Clinic, “is a calming presence whose thoughtful, good-natured demeanor truly lights up the room,” her nominator wrote.

“She always maintains a positive attitude and, when facing challenges, demonstrates mature skills to successfully navigate the issue at hand,” according to her nominator.

De la O Bahr was a student ambassador at KU School of Medicine-Wichita and also a class representative on the Medical Society of Sedgwick County board. She participated in the STORM rural and community health program during her first two years of medical school, providing medical care to patients in Dodge City while doing research into telehealth services in rural Kansas.  

Nominations for the Lawrence E. Lamb Prizes are solicited from KU School of Medicine deans and faculty, and a faculty committee selects the prize recipient in each category based on the evidence of outstanding performance and the assessment of their potential for sustained contributions in the future.

The prizes are made possible through the generous endowed gift of Lawrence E. Lamb, M.D., a 1949 graduate of KU School of Medicine.