54 Physicians, Trainees Feted for Humanism, Excellence

All of the honorees — who are medical trainees and physician-teachers at various stages of their careers — have demonstrated excellence in humanistic clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service.

The society is a program of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that strives to elevate the values of humanism and professionalism in medicine worldwide.

“Arnold Gold was the sort of physician who truly personified what humanism in medicine is all about,” said Leonard A. Katz, MD, professor emeritus of medicine.

Katz, who founded the UB chapter of GHHS in 2005, welcomed the inductees and their families in attendance at the event.

“This society works because of all the support that we receive,” Katz said.

UB’s more than 800 residents and fellows may nominate their peers into induction into a branch of the UB chapter — one of only 14 graduate medical education sections nationally affiliated with the society.

Each inductee is eligible to receive a small grant for a creative project to infuse and support humanism in training programs and hospitals.

GHHS members and Resident and Fellows Branch co-advisers Colleen A. Nugent, MD ’09, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, and Peter S. Martin, MD ’07, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, led the induction of the following residents and fellows:

• Matthew Anger, MD, (ophthalmology)
• Isuan Asikhia, MD, (child and adolescent psychiatry)
• Sarmad Baloch, MBBS, (rural family medicine)
• Magdalena Bax, DO, (emergency medicine)
• William Du, MD, (internal medicine — Catholic Health Systems)
• Michael Ernst, MD, (urology)
• Elle Fisch, MD, (obstetrics and gynecology)
• Nader Hanna, MD, (internal medicine)
• Babitha Haridas, MBBS, (pediatrics)
• Timothy Harris, MD, (pediatrics)
• Natalie Gugino, MD, (psychiatry)
• Patrick Jowdy, MD, (neurosurgery)
• Harjit Kaur, DO, (osteopathic family medicine)
• Patrick Kenney, MD, (internal medicine and pediatrics)
• Sahoor Khan, MBBS, (internal medicine)
• Dimitrios Koudoumas, MD, (vascular surgery)
• Simon Lucaj, MD, (psychiatry)
• Michael Pham, DO, (internal medicine)
  
• Kavitha Prezzano, MD, (radiation oncology)
• Michael Shu, MD, (obstetrics and gynecology)
  
• Taryn Spencer, MD, (internal medicine/preventive medicine)
• Gregory Stoltzfus, DO, (anesthesiology)
• Cyrus Tanhaee, MD, (pediatric anesthesiology)
• Kim Tran, DO, (osteopathic family medicine)
• Kunal Vakharia, MD, (neurosurgery)
  
• Susana Vargas-Pinto, MD, (general surgery)

Vargas-Pinto spoke to the attendees about humanitarian efforts she was involved in in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Chapter co-adviser David A. Milling, MD ’93, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs, led the induction of the following third-year medical students, who make up about 14 percent of the Class of 2019:

• Laura Ackerman
• Emily Benton
• Joel Braverman
• Brittany Cesar
• Samantha Davidson
• Caroline Gorka
• Timothy Hansen
• Moudi Hubeishy
• Joseph Iluore
• Austin Iovoli
• Andrew Knapp
• Christine Robertson
• Mattie Rosi-Schumacher
• Patrick Salemme
• Shannon Schmit
• Jillian Smith
• Alicia Supernault
• Grace Trompeter
• Kailyn Violanti
• Christopher Wilhelm

Nugent and Katz led the induction of the following faculty members:

• Paula A. Del Regno, MD, associate director of psychiatry residency training and associate professor of psychiatry
• Weidun Alan Guo, MD, PhD, associate professor of surgery
• Dori R. Marshall, MD ’97, assistant dean and director of medical admissions and assistant professor of psychiatry
  
• A. John Ryan Jr., MD, clinical associate professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
• Lynn M. Steinbrenner, MD ’80, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology
  
• Andrew B. Symons, MD ’02, clinical associate professor of family medicine and vice chair for medical student education
  
• David M. Thomas, MD, clinical assistant professor of family medicine
• Wayne R. Waz, MD, clinical associate professor of pediatrics and division chief of pediatric nephrology

Ryan spoke about the importance of humanism in caring for patients, emphasizing the compassion and respect all patients deserve.

Fourth-year medical student Diva Bomgaars, a 2017 inductee, received the Dr. Howard R. Goldstein ’74 Memorial Humanitarian Scholarship.

Bomgaars, who spearheaded the local society’s “Thank a Resident Day” event, will remain at UB to pursue her residency in family medicine.

The annual award, which commemorates Goldstein’s contributions to medicine and his humanitarian spirit, provides one-year support for third- or fourth-year medical students.

Bomgaars and fellow fourth-year medical student Karina Vattana provided the chapter highlights.

In a previous award, Steinbrenner was recognized as the winner of the 2017 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.

Medical students nominate outstanding role models for the award, which was given out during UB’s White Coat Ceremony in August.

The Tow Award, which is sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding compassion in the delivery of care; respect for patients, their families and health-care colleagues; and demonstrated clinical excellence.

Milling and Marcia Sarkin, GHHS member and chapter liaison, led inductees and members in reciting the Gold Humanism Honor Society oath.

The chapter is named in memory of Richard T. Sarkin, MD, EdM ’98, a former associate professor of clinical pediatrics known for his teaching expertise and passion.

The 2018 induction ceremony took place April 12 in the Ronald I. Dozoretz, MD ’62 Auditorium in the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building.