Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Holds Inaugural Gold Humanism Honor Society Induction   

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Holds Inaugural Gold Humanism Honor Society Induction

SOM Students Receiving Award

The first 50 students of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society on Jan 22.

The Honor Society, administered by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, recognized students nominated by their fellow students who best exemplify humanism and a certain care in medicine. The HMSOM group includes recent graduates as well as current students - and they join more than 45,000 other professionals who have been inducted over the years.

The students all “pinned” each other to symbolically mark their distinction - and recited a six-clause oath to reaffirm their commitment to the caring aspects in health care.

“This is yet another really, really important milestone for our school,” said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., president and dean of the school.

Dean Boscamp recalled doing rounds as a young professional with Arnold Gold, the pediatric neurologist who was a founder and namesake of the Foundation. Gold was a unique personality who was like the Pied Piper when in a clinical setting since he was so gregarious and insightful and was revered by huge groups of patients and colleagues and students following in his wake.

His legacy lives on in the humanism encouraged by the Foundation in schools like HMSOM, the dean added.

A heartfelt faculty address was given by Ofelia Martinez, M.D., who shared her experience as not only a clinician and assistant dean of medical education at the school - but also as the mother of a child who is fighting a cancer diagnosis. Her story, she emphasized, shows how a medical doctor’s handling of difficult news can be everything - something she urged the new honorees to keep in mind in their careers. Her words were focused on how clinicians have the power to impart hope in their interactions - inclusive of critical conversations, like communicating a life altering diagnosis - as well as in everyday interactions, like checking in with our patients, allowing them space to share what is on their minds, or giving a few minutes to just be with them.

“Congratulations to you all,” she said.

“Being inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society is such an honor,” added Hannah Weisman, a fourth-year medical student at the school. “Let’s make this the start of something amazing.”

“There is science behind humanism - it works, it improves health,” said Kathleen Reeves, M.D., the president and CEO of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. “You know what the kicker is? It saves money.”

The ceremony was emceed by Caryn Katz-Loffman, LSW, the director of Professional Identity Formation and assistant course director of the Human Dimension.

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