Interim Report Form
Final Report Form

The Gold Foundation sponsors the annual Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards for a graduating student and faculty member at 96 of the nation's medical schools. This award is presented to the student and faculty member who best demonstrate the Foundation's ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence.

The Gold Foundation began this award in 1991 at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey began replicating these awards nationwide in 1998, with participation from The Gold Foundation. In 2003, with a generous donation from Leonard Tow, these awards became solely sponsored and administered by The Gold Foundation. Medical schools wishing to bestow this pair of awards should abide the following criteria in their selection process:

Graduating Medical Student

• consistently demonstrates compassion and empathy in the delivery of care to patients
• illustrates professional and ethical behavior by example
• shows respect for everyone
• demonstrates cultural sensitivity in working with patients and family members of diverse backgrounds
• displays effective communication and listening skills—good rapport with patients
• understands patients’ need for interpretation of complex medical diagnosis and treatment and makes an effort to assure patient comprehension—shows respect for the patients’ viewpoint
• helps to articulate the patients’ concerns to attending physicians and others
• sensitive to the patients’ psychological well-being
• cooperative, easy to work with—engenders trust and confidence
• willing to help others and, when necessary, willing to seek help from others
• displays concern for the general welfare of the community and engages in volunteer activities
• seeks and accepts criticism, using it to improve performance
• committed to reflection and objective self-evaluation of his/her skills
• displays competence in scientific endeavors

Medical School Faculty Member

• consistently demonstrates compassion and empathy in the delivery of care to patients
• serves as a role model—illustrates professional behavior by example
• approachable and accessible to students
• welcomes opportunities for teaching and one-on-one mentorships with students
• exhibits enthusiasm and skill in professional and personal interactions with students
• shows respect for everyone
• demonstrates cultural sensitivity in working with patients and family members of diverse backgrounds
• displays effective communication and listening skills
• understands patients’ need for interpretation of complex medical diagnoses and treatments and makes an effort to ensure patient comprehension—shows respect for the patient’s viewpoint
• sensitive to the patients’ psychological well-being
• effectively identifies emotional concerns of patients and family members
• engenders trust and confidence
• adheres to professional and ethical standards
• committed to reflection and objective self-evaluation of his/her skills
• displays competence in scientific endeavors

If your school does not yet participate in this program and would like to, please contact Harriet Turner.