The Importance of the Human Connection in Health Care Takes Center Stage
30 Members of the Class of 2026 Were Inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society
Selected by their peers for their compassionate patient care, 30 members of the School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2026 were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) on March 5, during a special ceremony in the Skyline Dining Room. GHHS, a community of medical student and physician leaders, reinforces and supports the importance of human connection in health care.
“Tonight, Class of 2026 inductees, you are joining a community of champions of humanism in health care,” said Jane Ponterio, M.D. ’81, dean of students and GHHS chapter advisor, during her opening remarks. “We all recognize tonight your dedication and resilience to become truly caring physicians and also advise that your membership into GHHS goes well beyond tonight’s ceremony and extends to your responsibility to serve as role models, advocates, and leaders in humanism in medicine and patient care. We all want to nurture in you what we want medical care to look like for ourselves, our families, and all our patients.”
In her keynote address, Mitra Rezvani, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and internal medicine clerkship director, recounted the months-long medical journey of a young man that she treated as part of the internal medicine team at Westchester Medical Center. “We discovered that he had spinal osteomyelitis and drug fevers. We were able to adjust the antibiotics, and finally the fevers started to trend down.”
“As he was wheeled out of the building [to go home], he was thinking about the moment when he shared his wedding and honeymoon plans with the hematology team, how unreachable his plans sounded to him. The medical students, full of energy and optimism and not yet jaded, brought hope back to him by cheering for him. That was the best memory he took as a souvenir from his days in the hospital,” continued Dr. Rezvani. “He was also deeply grateful to the infectious disease team, who went above and beyond to bring a computer to his bedside so he could view his MRI images. This simple gesture gave him a sense of control and ownership over his care, making him feel more involved and empowered in his healing process.”
“To the GHHS new inductees: You were nominated by your peers and were meticulously selected to be here today. You have your senior year in front of you. I cannot wait to get to know you better and work with you and to learn your new ideas,” concluded Dr. Rezvani.
Josephine Issenman, SOM Class of 2025, who served on the GHHS Induction Selection Committee, offered a reflection on humanism by sharing excerpts from the personal statements submitted by the inductees.
“Humanism, which centers values like respect, empathy, and compassion, allows us to develop deeper bonds with our patients, which in turn leads to better quality care,” said Issenman. “One student shared how spending quality time with a patient over weeks and thoroughly explaining the daily plan allowed for a foundation of trust that proved invaluable when conversations eventually progressed to end-of-life care. Another student wrote how after a difficult and lengthy workup for T-cell lymphoma, her patient thanked her for listening about his life and his fears, not for her participation in making a medical diagnosis.”
“When we listen carefully and take the time, we can come up with truly creative solutions to enhance care,” continued Issenman. “Students in this room have taught patients how to change their own catheter bags to allow for more independence, have coordinated with local pharmacies to provide the lowest cost options for patients, and have coordinated a family carpool so that patients don’t miss their appointments.”
“To quote one of you, ‘in the most costly health care system, it costs nothing to be kind,’” concluded Issenman. “Humanism isn’t one thing, it’s a bunch of intangibles that allow us to see our patients as people and find meaning in the extra time spent doing the right thing. So be like your classmates and reserve judgements, help a family member move their loved one even if they aren’t on your patient list, and allow humanism to be a guiding principle and not just one tool in your toolbox.”
Class of 2026 GHHS Inductees
Aneesah Akbar
Sarah Ampalloor
Luiza Azevedo Karrer
Michelle Cohen
Elisheva Eisenberg
Shelcie Fabre
Audrey Huang
Lillian Huang
Denisse Janvier
Temima Kanarfogel
Shigeru Kaneki
Anoosh Kouyoumdjian
Sang Ho Lee
Sumaita Mahmood
Juliet Manu
Adriana Mesa
Saya Mieth
Cosku Ozcelik
Alexandra Patti
Dennis Paul
Romy Pein
Anne Pinchoff
Princy Shah
Juliet Shatkin
Gregory Spaulding
Kavya Tangella
Matthew Weiss
Stephen Windisch
Gagana Yaskhi
Emily Zhang
