Residents inducted into Gold Humanism Honor Society
The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) comprises more than 25,000 health care professionals in training and in practice who have been recognized for practicing patient-centered care.
There are GHHS chapters in medical schools across the United States and Canada. Six new residents are selected each year for Penn State College of Medicine’s resident chapter of GHHS.
The 2020 College of Medicine inductees are listed here with their statements about humanism in medicine.
Tyler Chapman
2020 graduate, Internal Medicine Residency
(Now faculty at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center)
“To me, humanism in medicine means listening to a patient’s story in order to understand the essence of their hardships. No matter how ill a patient may be, I know that I am of much better assistance to them when I open my ears and my heart; letting the patient know that I am there to provide comfort in their time of need.”
Joan Cullen
PGY-3, Internal Medicine Residency
“To me, practicing humanism in medicine means accepting that both you and your patients have flaws, hopes, dreams, and fears. Remembering these commonalities makes it easier for me to practice empathy and deliver compassionate care.”
Melissa Linskey Dougherty
PGY-5, General Surgery Residency
“Relationships make us human, and medicine is an art that cannot be practiced alone. Fostering therapeutic relationships with patients and colleagues allows me to provide better care, make it through difficult days, and truly love what I do.”
Emily Sun
2020 graduate, Neurology Residency
(Now a trainee in the Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry Fellowship, University of Florida)
“Humanism in medicine means to treat each person we encounter as a human being, instead of patients with diseases. It also means to care for each patient to the best of our ability despite their gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, religious beliefs and any crimes they might have committed.”
Soriayah Zaghab
PGY-3, Pediatric Residency
“Humanism in medicine is about kindness and bringing empathy into our hardest days.”
Christina Zoccoli
PGY-2, Family and Community Medicine Residency (Hershey, Pa.)
“To me, humanism in medicine prioritizes the dignity and value of every human being, and recognizes that each patient must be treated as a unique individual whose circumstances, perspectives and needs factor heavily in their ability to maintain their health and wellness. Practicing humanism in medicine means understanding that the needs of the body and the needs of the soul are intimately intertwined and both meaningfully contribute to overall patient wellness.”
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