Jacobs School Inductees Join Gold Humanism Honor Society

By Keith Gillogly

GHHS was formed in 2002 and recognizes medical students, residents and faculty as exemplars of patient-centered care and humanism across their educational, community, and clinical efforts. The society is a program of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which works to elevate the values of humanism and professionalism in medicine.

This year, UB’s chapter welcomed 27 medical students, 16 residents, and six faculty as new members.

“You’re joining a large group of some of the most special clinicians and providers around the world,” said Gregory S. Cherr, MD, professor of surgery and senior associate dean for graduate medical education. Cherr, who is also GHHS resident chapter co-advisor and a society member himself, emceed the event.

GHHS now has almost 50,000 members, with 185 chapters worldwide, Cherr said, and UB is home to one of only 13 active GHHS resident chapters globally. 

After welcoming the audience of new inductees, their families, faculty, and supporters, Cherr shared more about GHHS history and about Dr. Arnold Gold’s dedication to patients during his time as a pediatric neurologist at Columbia University.

At the event, held in the Jacobs School’s M&T Auditorium, Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, thanked the audience and team behind this year’s ceremony. She praised the new inductees, who “epitomize patient-centered care,” for their compassion, leadership and integrity.

David A. Milling, MD ’93, executive director of the Office of Medical Education and senior associate dean for medical education next presented the Dr. Howard R. Goldstein ’74 Memorial Humanitarian Scholarship. This year’s recipients were fourth-year Jacobs School medical students Daniela Falcone and Allison Thayer, recognized for their demonstration of humanism.    

“We are really happy for everything that you have done,” Milling said of Falcone and Thayer. “We know you’re going to go forward and represent Jacobs and GHHS doing wonderful things.”

Milling also reflected on the generosity of the late Dr. Leonard A. Katz, his wife Judy, and their family. Katz, who died last year, founded the UB chapter of the GHHS in 2004 and has been fondly remembered for his kindness, teaching expertise, and lasting presence.

“Dr. Katz was one of my mentors, a friend, and someone who was really dedicated to this chapter,” said Milling, who’s also a GHHS member.

At this year’s graduation, Milling announced that, with support from the Katz family, a financial award will be presented to a GHHS inductee as well as a scholarship to support future inductees. 

“That generosity reflects exactly what Leonard stood for: recognizing and uplifting those who led with heart,” Milling said.

Following the ceremony, a reception was held in the Jacobs School’s atrium. Third-year medical student Zoe Arditi said she felt humbled to be inducted into GHHS, saying that humanistic care and helping people drove her to pursue medicine.

“A lot of medical school and the path to get here measures you by your test scores and other numbers. But I’m a person who wants to help people, and that can’t be quantified," she said. “So, it’s humbling being recognized by my peers in this way.”

For third-year medical student Jacob Herron, being inducted and recognized for humanism and dedication has instilled lasting motivation. 

“It’s an honor,” Herron said. “It’s a reminder that hopefully you can take the motivation to do work like this beyond medical school into residency and eventually our careers.” 

Milling was joined by Jessica A. Donhauser, MD ’13, assistant dean for student and academic affairs and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, in presenting the following inductees from the Class of 2027:

Cherr was joined by Peter S. Martin, MD ’07, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, in announcing the residents joining GHHS: 

• Ahmad Al-Alwan, MD, hematology/oncology program
• Matthew Alben, DO, orthopaedics program
• Irshad Ally, MD, clinical informatics program
• Kyle Boyd, MD, pediatrics program
• Jamie Coffin, MD, internal medicine/pediatrics program
• Vaishali Deenadayalan, MBBS, hematology/oncology program
• Tripti Jain, MBBS, hematology/oncology program
• Sandra Kamel, MD, family medicine program
• Andrew Ko, DO, pediatrics program
• Baban Kumar, MBBS, internal medicine program
• Calvin Yee Fen Lee, MBBS, internal medicine program
• Moustafa Mesha, MBBCH, neurology program
• Nour Nassour, MD, internal medicine program
• Andrea Nwawka, MD, pediatrics program
• Krishnamurti Rao, MD, family medicine program
• Muhammad Waqas, MBBS, neurosurgery program 

Cherr and Milling recognized the newly inducted faculty GHHS members:

• Gale R. Burstein, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics
• David A. Freedman, PhD, instructor of pathology and anatomical sciences
• Robert Gatewood, MD, cardiology
• Suzanne C. Griffith, MD, clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology
• Mark D. Parker, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics
• Kenneth Rogoza, DO, psychiatry