The Gold Foundation champions humanism in healthcare, which we define as compassionate, collaborative, and scientifically excellent care. Grantees are expected to reflect these values in daily practice and to continuously strive to be exemplars of humanism in healthcare.
Eligibility
Medical students at an accredited U.S. or Canadian school of allopathy or osteopathy, or at an international school with a Gold Humanism Honor Society chapter, may apply for either the Research or Service Fellowship. Students may apply as individuals or in a group.
Selection Criteria and Process
Gold Foundation staff select the Gold Student Summer Fellows according the following criteria:
- Project involves humanism, underserved community, community health, or cultural competency
- Project reflects quality and quantity of patient interaction
- Project design is rational, with sound methodology, implementation, and evaluation
- Proposal clearly outlines plans for measuring outcomes
- Project involves interprofessional teamwork
- Project is designed and implemented by student
- Proposal identifies methods for sustainability and/or publication
- Project encourages systems change
We are particularly interested in creative projects that focus on improving the health and lives of traditionally underserved populations.
Additional Components
There are two types of fellowships:
The Gold Student Summer Research Fellowship is awarded for research in community health, cultural competency issues and improving the health and lives of traditionally underserved populations. The research focus should be on humanistic patient care and as such the proposal should show significant interaction with the target patient population. The Foundation’s goal is to provide an opportunity for students to work directly with patients and to become more compassionate, relationship-centered physicians.
The Gold Student Summer Service Fellowship is intended to provide students an opportunity to design and implement a service project addressing a public health need in an underserved community or population. The Foundation’s goal is to provide an opportunity for students to work directly with patients and to become more compassionate, relationship-centered physicians.
Patient interaction and Covid 19: We expect that all submissions will include some level of patient interaction. If there are obstacles with this component of your application due to Covid-19, please address it specifically in your proposal. If your project involves travel, please abide by the parameters of your institution and local restrictions.
Mentorship: The student is expected to conduct the project under the oversight of a mentor. The student is responsible for identifying an appropriate mentor from their school.
How and When to Apply
We are now accepting applications for 2023. Proposals are due by March 20, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
All applications must be submitted using our online form.
Documents must be named using the following format: lastname_firstname_documenttype, e.g. Simmons_Amanda_MentorFormB
Application Requirements
Your application must include:
- Electronic application (register/log-in to grant request system)
- Gold SSF Mentor Form A (download and attach to application)
- Gold SSF Onsite Supervisor Form A (additional form, only required if project takes place off-site or overseas)
- Letter of support from the Student Affairs or Medical Education Dean must accompany all applications. The letter must state that: 1) the student is presently in good academic standing, 2) the school approves of the mentor and the location of the project, and, 3) the school is willing to accept and administer the grant on the student’s behalf.
- If applicable, a letter of support from the organization or institution that you will partner with to implement your project is optional yet highly recommended.
- The Gold Foundation does not require a project budget as the funds are meant to generally support the student(s) and their work during the fellowship period.
- Proposal (2-3 pages) including the sections listed in the below table. Be sure to include all required components related to the type of proposal you are submitting.
| Requirement | Research or Service Proposal |
| Abstract | Research |
| Hypothesis | Research |
| Objectives and Significance | Research |
| An evaluation component to assess impact of student’s intervention, research design, and methodology | Research |
| Background and literature review with appropriate citations (citations do not count toward page limit) | Both |
| Statement of need identifying and providing background on the public health issue and population being addressed | Service |
| A detailed implementation plan to address the needs identified | Service |
| If IRB approval/exemption is necessary, provide application status | Both |
| Expected level of direct patient interaction during course of the fellowship | Both |
| Possibility for research or service project to continue after student fellowship | Both |
| Thoughtful discussion of how this fellowship might contribute to the applicant’s understanding of the practice of humanistic medicine as well as the patient experience with illness, their health and the healthcare system (at least two paragraphs in length) | Both |
| Timeline of planned project activities | Both |