ACOI Recognizes Pranati Shah, DO, with 2025 David Susser Award
by ACOI
September 9, 2025
The American College of Osteopathic Internists (ACOI), a national professional organization representing osteopathic internal medicine physicians and subspecialists, has selected Pranati Dharmesh Shah, DO as the recipient of the 2025 David Susser Award. Dr. Shah will be recognized in October at ACOI 2025 in Marco Island, Florida.
This award, established in 2024, is granted in honor of David Susser, DO, MACOI, a cardiologist and former head of internal medicine at Botsford Hospital (Michigan) who also served as a past president of ACOI. Dr. Susser was among the first osteopathic internal medicine physicians to pursue sub-specialization. He was considered a pioneer in osteopathic internal medicine, as well as a paragon of ethical care, compassion, and commitment to quality in his professional and personal lives.
The Susser Memorial Award is granted to a resident or fourth-year medical student who has matched in internal medicine, and lives out the traits Dr. Susser demonstrated throughout his life, especially:
- Commitment to excellence and integrity;
- Sense of compassion and care for others;
- Resilience in overcoming adversity;
- Academic performance and commitment to quality; and
- Generosity of spirit and commitment to community and self-improvement.
Pranati Shah, DO, is a resident in internal medicine at Loma Linda University (expected completion 2027) in Loma Linda, California. She completed medical school at Touro University Nevada, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Henderson, Nevada. Dr. Shah’s many accomplishments include winning first place at the Medical Oncology Association of Southern California (MOASC) Oncology Summit in March 2025; and being selected as one of two Research Scholars at Loma Linda University in April 2025. She also volunteers her time as a Virtual Education Co-Team Lead with Health4TheWorld, a physician-led nonprofit that offers free lectures for trainees in under-resourced areas, and is involved with Share a Smile USA, an organization that helps empower women in rural India.
Dr. Shah's attending physician and associate program director Dr. Jonathan Min, MD, shared these words about her:
“Dr. Shah embodies the values of this award not in moments of convenience, but in the hard, unseen, and unglamorous parts of medicine. Her integrity, compassion, and relentless drive to improve herself and those around her make her a standout among her peers, and a physician who will carry Dr. Susser’s legacy forward.”
In her personal statement, Dr. Shah shared that, if chosen for this award, she would “strive to honor the trust placed in me and continue becoming the kind of osteopathic physician my patients and community deserve. The goal is to help as many people as possible.” She intends to honor Dr. Susser’s legacy in this way by continuing to contribute to medical literature and remaining active in academic medicine through research and education.
About ACOI
Since 1941, the American College of Osteopathic Internists (ACOI) has represented current and aspiring osteopathic internal medicine physicians and subspecialists. The ACOI provides leadership, networking, and education to help members be successful and stay true to why they pursued medicine. For more information, visit www.acoi.org.