Michigan Family Medicine Resident of the Year, Dr. Mikita Arora, Recognized for Commitment to Patient Care, Scholarship, Medicine, Community

Michigan Academy of Family Physicians, the state’s largest medical specialty association, honored Mikita Arora, MD with its 2023 Michigan Family Medicine Resident of the Year Award on Aug. 14.

Dr. Arora completed family medicine residency in June 2023 at McLaren Healthcare-Oakland Hospital in Pontiac and served for the past year as resident member on the MAFP Board of Directors. A 2014 graduate of the American University of Antigua College of Medicine, she holds a passion for advocacy and resident education.

“Dr. Mikita Arora is purposeful in her commitment to patient care, scholarship, medicine, and community,” said Mark Hamed, MD, MPH, MBA, FAEMS, FAAFP, who presented the award to Dr. Arora on behalf of MAFP and Family Medicine Foundation of Michigan. “Her achievements in family medicine have been remarkable, which is why we are honored to present Dr. Arora with this award.”

During her residency training, Dr. Arora not only provided exemplary care to patients, she also volunteered her time to serve the Pontiac community, where she quickly grew into an asset. Her volunteer activities included tutoring elementary age students in reading literacy, participating in community health fairs and outreach events, and building a community food bank.

“Dr. Arora’s performance has been nothing short of stellar. I’ve never worked with a resident physician who has excelled so greatly in my program the way she has,” said Mark Schury, DO, program director at McLaren Healthcare-Oakland Family Medicine Residency.

Now that she has completed residency, Dr. Arora will be working in an urgent care clinic and then transitioning into private practice.

Michigan Academy of Family Physicians’ annual Michigan Family Medicine Resident of the Year Award recognizes a physician-in-training for exemplary patient care, leadership, commitment to the community, contributions to scholarly activity, and dedication to the specialty of family medicine.

Family medicine is a primary care specialty practiced by family physicians. Family physicians are the quarterbacks of health, helping people stay healthy, manage chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes, and avoid preventable hospitalizations.

Michigan Academy of Family Physicians advocates for family physicians; among its top priorities are preserving physician-led team-based care and increasing the state’s primary care workforce. Both are critical for Michigan residents to be able to access healthcare services when and where they need them.