On Wednesday, May 29, 23 students from VCOM-Louisiana were honored and inducted into the prestigious Arnold P. Gold Foundation's Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS). These exceptional students were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee for their outstanding display of compassion, empathy and integrity in patient care.
Arnold P. Gold was a prominent physician, professor and humanist who made significant contributions to the field of medicine, particularly in promoting humanism in healthcare. He was a pediatric neurologist and a professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. His legacy continues through The Arnold P. Gold Foundation and its initiatives, including the Gold Humanism Honor Society.
The Gold Humanism Award recognizes and celebrates medical professionals, including students, residents and faculty, who demonstrate exemplary humanistic behaviors in the field of medicine. The GHHS promotes a culture of caring and respect in healthcare, ensuring patients are treated with dignity, kindness and compassion.
During the ceremony, Randy L. Aldret, Ed.D., delivered a moving address, urging the award recipients to continue providing outstanding, compassionate care to patients from all walks of life. Aldret shared, "It is an honor to be the faculty advisor for this award society at VCOM-Louisiana. Their peers nominated these students for their demonstrated commitment to health care and human kindness. It is even more special for the osteopathically trained due to the nature of human connection associated with osteopathic manipulative medicine. These students exemplify this earned trust by having their patients' welfare at the center of everything they do. The patients see it, their classmates see it and their faculty see it as well. Our GHHS members represent the best parts of us as medical practitioners and as an osteopathic medical school."
Students took the GHHS oath at the ceremony, solemnly committing to upholding essential humanistic values throughout their future medical careers. Class of 2025 inductee and ceremony organizer Kayla Irons shared her thoughts:
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation emphasizes keeping humanism alive within healthcare. Being nominated and inducted into VCOM-Louisiana’s Gold Humanism Honor Society motivates me to continue to provide compassionate healthcare as I advance along my journey through medicine. Through this last year of medical school, in residency and onward, I hope we all are reminded of what it means to be a Gold Humanism Scholar.
The induction of these deserving students into the Gold Humanism Honor Society not only highlights their individual accomplishments but also serves as a testament to the unwavering commitment of the VCOM-Louisiana community to promoting empathy and compassion in healthcare. As these students carry forward the principles of humanism in medicine, their induction into the GHHS will inspire others to embrace a similar ethos in their pursuits within the medical field. VCOM-Louisiana takes great pride in celebrating the achievements of these outstanding students and looks forward to witnessing the positive impact they will undoubtedly have on the future of healthcare.
