The MAA badge and standard were petitioned from the Crown in memory of the late Dr. Ruth Kurdyak (Class of 1960), a former MAA board member who served as president for two terms and who, for many years, was the executive director.

The granting of a badge and standard is part of a system of honours of the Canadian Crown. The badge combines several symbols found in the MAA coat of arms. The rod of Aesculapius, a snake wound around a single rod, is an ancient symbol of medicine. A circle of oak leaves and acorns, taken from the crests of the university, Faculty of Medicine and MAA, complete the design. 

A standard is a long tapered flag with a rounded end. The MAA may be the only alumni association granted a standard.