Selecting New Members
Each year, GHHS student chapters may induct up to 15.0% of the medical student class, along with four faculty members, and six residents. None of these inductees can already belong to GHHS.
Students
The timing of the induction ceremony is best left to the convenience of the institution. The society recommends that the selection and notification of the new members occurs as soon as peers and clerkship directors have had ample time to observe them in clinical settings. If serious clinical work occurs in the second year curriculum, nomination and selection can occur during the transition into the third year. Student selection should be completed and planning meetings scheduled in time for new GHHS members to bond as a group, to design and implement their projects and programs, preferably no later than March of their third year. It is extremely helpful to allow a period of overlap of the incoming and graduating GHHS students so that they can establish continuity of chapter goals and activities. Selected students should be humanistic exemplars for the entire student body and should range from 10-15% of the class.
From Policy and Procedures 2018: “ the absolute maximum number of students selected each year is no more than 15% of the total number of students in the class expected to graduate at the time of nomination, as certified by the Dean of Students. No induction materials will be provided for a chapter until the percentage of new members falls at or below the 15% limit.” The process for selection of new student members should include:
The initial step is that of Peer nomination of eligible individuals. Chapters most often generate nominations from peers through the use of a validated and reliable peer nomination survey developed by Dr. Wayne McCormack at the University of Florida (or a variation)
Nomination Survey
The McCormack survey asks students to identify individuals in their class who most closely fit brief real- life scenarios that exemplify a caring physician. The initial group of nominees usually consists of 20-25% of the class, although a higher initial pool of nominees (up to 35-40%) can allow for the quieter humanists to maintain representation. The McCormack peer evaluation survey is available here: Survey Link
A secondary vetting process that reviews the candidates for academic success and professional behavior is done by a selection committee. The Selection Committee is typically comprised of faculty, administrators, past Tow Award winners, and/or GHHS student and resident members. Students nominated in the primary process are evaluated during this step on the basis of academic eligibility, program director evaluations, and an additional essay, interview or other indication of the nominee’s willingness, interest and motivation to serve, work, and lead. In order to make clear the responsibility for service as part of GHHS membership, consider an essay prompt such as, “If selected to GHHS, how will you encourage your peers to practice compassionate, patient-centered care at our institution?” From this group, the final 10-15.0% of the class are selected to become GHHS
Acceptance of the nomination by the nominee is provisionally based on registration by the Chapter Advisor of new members with the national GHHS (Numbers must be at most 15%.) No students will be granted membership until the percentage of the class selected is at most 15%. We recommend that the list of selected students be listed on the Induction Spreadsheet, and the Induction Procedure Form be entirely filled out and submitted to the national GHHS office (smorris@gold-foundation.org) as soon as the decision is made and BEFORE the students are notified to avoid unnecessary disappointments if the numbers do not match up.
Invitation of new members to a formal induction ceremony Students selected to GHHS should be recognized in a formal induction ceremony (see below). Formal recognition of GHHS membership should take place at any time other student honors and awards are bestowed. In addition, schools are expected to acknowledge student membership in the GHHS at graduation ceremonies. The mention of this honor should be included in each student’s Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), otherwise known as the Dean’s letter and on the ERAS application.
Resident
Each medical school chapter may select up to six residents for induction into GHHS each year. For schools that hold a Student Clinician’s Ceremony (SCC), the resident recipients of the Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award (HETA) are the same six residents inducted that year into GHHS. Residents are chosen for their commitment to teaching and their kind and compassionate treatment of patients, families, students, and colleagues. Resident nominees typically represent a variety of specialties and levels of training. Each institution is welcomed to determine its selection process, however GHHS student members should be involved in identifying awardees. Prior to announcement of the award, the GHHS chapter may find it prudent to check with the residents’ Program Directors in order to confirm that the nominees meet all expectations of professionalism. Residents selected by a GHHS chapter, or who were chosen as part of the SCC should be invited to the GHHS induction ceremony and acknowledged as new members.
If the school participates in the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, and the
Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award for residents, these individuals are all AUTOMATICALLY inducted into GHHS if they are not already members. The processes should be coordinated so that in total no more than 6 residents and 4 faculty members are inducted into GHHS per institution each year.(see below in other sections)
It is customary, but not mandatory, that schools that bestow the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award select the student awardee from the ranks of the GHHS students.
Faculty
Each medical school chapter may select up to four faculty members for induction into GHHS each year. These faculty members can be expected to stay involved enough in the chapter to be available for mentoring or occasional participation in chapter activities related to the faculty member’s interest. Faculty members are nominated by the criteria used for the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award (see below). For schools that offer the Leonard Tow Award, one of the four faculty members selected for induction into GHHS should be the Tow Award Winner. The awardees are typically chosen by a vote of the GHHS student and faculty chapter members, although the Leonard Tow Award Winner may be selected by an alternative committee. New faculty members are inducted at the GHHS ceremony and are often asked to address the new GHHS student and resident members.
Leonard Tow Humanism Award
If the school participates in the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, and the Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award for residents, these individuals are all AUTOMATICALLY inducted into GHHS if they are not already members. The processes should be coordinated so that in total no more than 6 residents and 4 faculty members are inducted into GHHS per institution each year.
It is customary, but not mandatory, that schools that bestow the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award select the student awardee from the ranks of the GHHS students.