The Wayne State University School of Medicine chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society secured an Honorable Mention in the national Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Distinguished Chapter competition.

The WSU chapter was one of five to receive the designation from among the 150 active GHHS organizations at medical schools and residency programs across the nation.

“This a huge honor for the School of Medicine because we were recognized for our commitment for being compassionate and respectful and among those who support and advocate for others, especially for our underserved community,” said chapter president Diana Alaouie, a fourth-year medical student from Dearborn, Mich. “The criteria for the submission was based on submitting a service activity or research that displays leadership and shows an impact in the advancement of the culture of patient-centered care. We pride ourselves on creating an environment that advocates and displays concern for our patient population. The School of Medicine is well known for our ability to graduate medical students that demonstrate clinical excellence, but I feel that this time we can also shed light on the fact that the school has students and faculty who dedicate themselves to serving our community though our compassion, concern and respect, enriching the field of medicine with humanistic passion.”

The society was created by the New Jersey-based Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 2002 to identify students, residents and faculty who embody the qualities of integrity, excellence, altruism, respect and empathy, and who serve as role models, leaders and advocates for humanism in medicine.

The WSU chapter, founded in 2005, aims to instill and sustain a culture of respect, dignity and compassion for patients and professionals in the health care environment. Members include medical students, residents and faculty physicians, and are nominated by fellow medical students, residents or staff members of the School of Medicine or the Detroit Medical Center. Members are selected based on their demonstration of excellence in clinical care, leadership and dedication to service, and consistently going beyond the call of duty to enrich society by advancing the field of medicine and demonstrating compassion for all.

“The Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s all-encompassing goal is to create the gold standard in health care — compassionate, collaborative and scientifically excellent care — to support clinicians throughout their careers, so the humanistic passion that inspires them at the beginning of their education is sustained throughout their practice,” said Alaouie, who is interested in a career in Internal or Emergency Medicine. “Our chapter will continue to learn from the experiences and culture around us. We seek and accept criticism so that we may become better physicians. We want to prove practicing humanism results in better care. The honorable mention affirms that we are conveying the goal of GHHS. We will continue to strive to master our clinical expertise though our commitment to providing humanistic patient-centered care.

Other chapters that also earned Honorable Mention status include the Indiana University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine (New Orleans), the Medical University of South Carolina and The Ohio State University College of Medicine.