Dr. Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest

Dr. Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest

 

Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 essay contest!

Read the announcement and meet the winners.

The annual Dr. Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest asks medical, nursing, and graduate psychology students to engage in a reflective writing exercise that illustrates an experience where they or a healthcare team member (doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, pharmacists, patients and families, etc.) worked to ensure that humanism was at the core of care. Submissions that touch upon students’ personal experiences of humanistic care or stories of family and friends are also accepted.

First-, second-, and third-place essays are chosen by a panel including healthcare professionals, writers/journalists, and educators.

Winners receive monetary awards of $1,000, $500 and $250, respectively, and their essays are published in Academic Medicine, The Journal of Professional Nursing, and the Journal of Health Service Psychology. A total of nine winners are awarded, three in each category of students: medical, nursing, and graduate psychology students.

Read the announcement about the 2026 expansion to psychology students.

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Who was Dr. Hope Babette Tang?

The essay contest is named in memory of Hope Babette Tang, MD, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and the Pediatric Medical Director of the hospital’s HIV clinic until her death in 1998 at age 36. Dr. Tang’s patients were often facing numerous obstacles on top of their devastating medical challenges, which made healing even more difficult. Her mantra in caring for her patients was “Whatever it takes.” Her approach meant she saw the person in front of her, not just their medical situation. Many of her acts of caring only came to be known after her death. She treated the whole patient, a hallmark of humanistic care.

2026 Dr. Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest Prompt

Using the following quote, reflect on an experience in any healthcare setting where you or another healthcare team member worked to put the person at the center of care:

“Face-to-face conversation is the most human—and humanizing—thing we do. Fully present to one another, we learn to listen. It’s where we develop the capacity for empathy. It’s where we experience the joy of being heard, of being understood.” — Sherry Turkle, PhD

Learn how to submit an essay: Eligibility, Selection Criteria, and Process.

2026 Essay Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Dr. Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest! Read the full announcement here.

Medical students

  • 1st: “The Shape of a Self” by Mohamad Adada, University of Central Florida College of Medicine
  • 2nd: “At Eye Level” by Shriya Veluri, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Long School of Medicine
  • 3rd: “Its Own Kind of Saving” by Hannah Willmott, University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Nursing students

  • 1st: “Hear Her: Before the Silence” by MiaLisa Mossay, Florida State University
  • 2nd: “Five More Minutes” by Michael Maloney, University of Missouri-Kansas City
  • 3rd: “The Nurse I Never Met” by Katherine Jannusch, Texas Christian University

Psychology students

  • 1st: “From the Chart to the Heart” by Jermon Drake, University of Pittsburgh
  • 2nd: “The Weight of a Word” by Serena Bradshaw, Howard University
  • 3rd: “Just Show Up” by Jean Pauline Serrano, University of California, Santa Barbara

Read the full announcement of the 2026 winners.

Hear past essay winners read and share about their essay through the Gold Connection Podcast

Jessica Pierce, who won first place for nursing students students in the 2022 contest, reads her winning essay, "As the Sun Sets." The reading is followed by a conversation with Jessica and Gold Foundation Editor in Chief Brianne Alcala, exploring the writing process. Jessica is pursuing her doctoral degree in Nurse Anesthesia at Oregon Health & Science University. Listen here
Square image with Molly Fessler's headshot and the words On Writing "Every Patient After" Molly Fessler, who won second place for medical students in the 2022 contest, reads her winning essay, “Every Patient After.” That reading is followed by a conversation with Molly and Gold Foundation Editor in Chief Brianne Alcala, exploring the writing process. Molly is a fourth-year student at the University of Michigan Medical School. Listen here
Mason Blacker, a medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, won first place for medical students in the 2022 contest. In this podcast episode, he reads his winning essay, “The Light.” The reading is followed by a conversation with Mason and Gold Foundation Editor in Chief Brianne Alcala, exploring the writing process. Listen here

 

For more information about the Gold Foundation programs or their status, please contact VP, Programs, Louisa Tvito at ltvito@gold-foundation.org.