The question for the 2014 Gold – Hope Tang, MD 2014 Humanism in Medicine Essay Contest was:
Using a real life experience, describe how technology played a role, either negatively or positively, in the delivery of humanistic patient care.
Current students at an accredited US or Canadian allopathic or osteopathic medical school are encouraged to write an essay of 1,000 words or less on this topic. First, second, and third place essays are chosen by a panel of physicians and accomplished writers. Winners receive a monetary award and their essays are published in Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Since 1999, The Gold Foundation has held an annual Essay Contest that asks medical students to engage in a reflective writing exercise around a topical theme or quote related to humanism in medicine. To date, we have received well over 3,000 essays.
Hope Babette Tang-Goodwin, MD, was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, whose devotion and generosity to the care of the children and infants with HIV infection in New York City was an inspiration to her colleagues and her students. Her approach to medicine combined a boundless enthusiasm for her work, intellectual rigor and deep compassion for her patients. In sum, Hope was a Gold DOC – an exemplar of excellent, compassionate and respectful patient care.
