Gold Humanism Honor Society inducts UNMC members

On Saturday, UNMC inducted its first class of Gold Humanism Honor Society members.

The class included 18 third-year medical students, six residents and three members of the faculty.

The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) was established in 2002 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which was established by Drs. Arnold and Sandra Gold at Columbia University. The national organization has more than 20,000 members in training and practice.

Since 1988, the Gold Foundation has partnered with medical schools and teaching hospitals to infuse humanism into medical training. The honor society is one more way the foundation is working to achieve this goal. According to the organization’s website, “The power of the society lies in bringing together like-minded individuals to sustain their own humanism and to inspire and nurture humanism in others.”

Medical school chapters may induct up to:

• 10 to 15 percent of the third-year medical student class;
• Two faculty members selected by students in their core clinical year; and
• Six residents selected by students in their core clinical year.

Inductees are selected through a vetted peer- and faculty-nomination process, said Charity Evans, M.D., assistant professor of surgery and co-advisor for the honor society.

“For the inaugural class, UNMC has selected a group of student, faculty and resident members that exemplify the qualities and attributes — compassion and empathy in medicine — that this society was created to celebrate and engender in the medical community,” Dr. Evans said.

This year’s inductees included:

Third-year medical students:

David Bayne, Blake Cover, Chris Deans, Katherine Ernst, Joshua Gruhl, Meredith Humphreys, Einstein Juma, Autumn Kresha, Andrea Langeveld, Caitlin Loseth, Riley Machal, Katie Maliszewski, Matt Pazderka, Sydney Rees, Sara Schenk, Elizabeth Sutton, Matt Smith, Craig Sudbeck.

Residents:

Kilie Donovan, M.D., Jennifer Dwyer, M.D., Melissa Hernandez, M.D., Chetaj Mahabir,M.D., John Pesavento, M.D., Caleb Steffen, M.D.

Faculty:

Shannon Boerner, M.D., Wendy Grant, M.D., Bud Shaw, M.D.

Induction of three faculty members is allowed in the first year, and Dr. Boerner will join Dr. Evans as a co-advisor for the group.

The student members will meet soon to create service projects, Dr. Evans said.

“The projects will benefit the UNMC community at large,” she said. “This next year’s work will be the beginning of a legacy for the GHHS here at UNMC, and we hope to involve first- and second-year medical students, to keep them aware of the mission of the GHHS.”