OU Medical Students Named Oklahoma State Medical Association Students of the Year

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reagan Amason and Lily Robistow, two medical students with the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine, have each been honored with the Oklahoma State Medical Association’s (OSMA) inaugural Medical Student of the Year Award for the State of Oklahoma.

OSMA’s Board of Trustees has established the award to “honor an outstanding medical student for exemplary leadership, advocacy, service, and professional excellence from the four medical schools in the state.”

Amason is a fourth-year student at the College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, and Robistow is a third-year student at the college’s School of Community of Medicine in Tulsa. Both described their reactions toward receiving the honor.

“It was very rewarding,” said Amason, who has matched into Urology at COM’s Department of Urology. “It felt like a culmination of all the things that I've worked on so hard for the past four years, and it was finally something that could draw it all to a close.”

“Not only does it mean a lot to me,” Robistow said, “but for the students that I’m mentoring, I think it means a lot for them to see that recognition of what it is that a medical student can accomplish.”

Ian Dunn, M.D., executive dean of the College of Medicine, and Boyd D. Burns, D.O., interim dean of the School of Community Medicine, congratulated the award winners.

“I have gotten to know Reagan over the past 3 years, and I have been so impressed with him as a leader and ambassador,” Dunn said. “We are proud of him for his incredible achievement, which highlights our students’ accomplishments and the power of leadership in medicine. We also thank OSMA for its work highlighting and furthering the excellence of Oklahoma’s medical students.”

“Lily is a leader in her class and a tireless advocate for others, consistently elevating student perspectives,” Burns said. “We are proud of the example she sets for the future of medicine, and this recognition by OSMA is a well-deserved celebration of both her accomplishments and the meaningful difference she is already making for patients and communities.”

During his time at the College of Medicine, Amason has embraced academic research and leadership opportunities. He received the college’s First-Year Outstanding Leadership Award and earned first place in the Prostate Cancer Podium Session at the South-Central Section of the American Urological Association’s 2025 meeting. He also serves as the vice president of COM’s Class of 2026.

Amason plans to use his passion to help patients in Oklahoma, noting that rural communities in the U.S. are facing challenges with healthcare access, such as hospital closures. He is also interested in physician advocacy: he previously served as president of OSMA’s Medical Student Section and a member of OSMA’s board of trustees and is currently a staff consultant with Oklahoma Political Strategies.

In those roles, Amason has promoted initiatives related to naloxone access, cancer screening funding and end-of-life care. He said it’s important for medical professionals to use their voices to inform politicians and support patients.

“Unless we are there to tell them about the issue and how we think they should fix it, nothing's ever going to get done,” Amason said. “I think that's part of our responsibility, and so that is definitely something that I will continue to be involved in.”

Robistow is a former teacher and respiratory therapist who was drawn to SCM for its focus on the social determinants of health. She is involved with the Tulsa County Medical Society and serves as both a board trustee and the chair-elect of OSMA’s Medical Student Section. She is also a regional policy chair for the American Medical Association’s Medical Student Section and coordinates her region’s delegates.

Along with her policy advocacy, Robistow mentors pre-med students as a way to support people from different backgrounds entering medicine. She cites her lived experience of being raised by a single mom and thinking critically about expenses as a motivation for helping other students.

While Robistow lived in seven different states throughout her life, she views Oklahoma as “home” and wants to continue working in the state professionally. She hopes to become a pulmonologist and critical care doctor, providing care and guidance to people dealing with difficult moments.

“For us as doctors and healthcare workers, we go to the hospital every single day,” Robistow said. “But to our patients, this is potentially the first time they've ever been hospitalized. This is potentially the first time that their family members have ever had to try to navigate the system and understand what is happening. And I think that's a huge privilege to be able to help people understand what's going on and help them make decisions about their health.”

About the Oklahoma State Medical Association
Representing current and future physicians, the Oklahoma State Medical Association works to foster better health for all Oklahomans through legislative advocacy, public health awareness programs and comprehensive continuing medical education. Learn more at okmed.org.

About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.