Center for Humanism in Healthcare
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Mission
The University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Humanism in Healthcare is dedicated to recruiting, supporting and uniting faculty, learners, and clinicians to advance humanism in medicine through innovation, collaboration, and advocacy.
The Center for Humanism in Healthcare serves as a hub for developing new programs, curating and amplifying existing initiatives, and fostering innovation and dialogue that elevate empathy, compassion, and ethical responsibility in patient care and medical education.
Guiding Principles
Patient-Centered Humanity | Every initiative begins with the patient’s voice and dignity at its core, ensuring care that is compassionate, culturally responsive, and equitable.
Innovation Through Collaboration | We bring together like-minded individuals across disciplines to design, test, and share programs that strengthen empathy and professionalism in both education and practice.
Scholarship and Impact | We commit to generating evidence-based approaches and disseminating best practices that advance humanism in medicine locally and nationally.
Core Faculty
Katharine Boyle, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Rebecca Carter, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Marissa Flaherty, MD
Assistant Professor for Psychiatry
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Nidhi Goel, MD, MHS
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Elizabeth Lamos, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Moran (Roni) Levin, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Joseph Martinez, MD
Professor of Medicine
Associate Dean for Medical Education
Donna Parker, MD
Professor of Medicine
Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
Chief Academic Officer for the Medical Education Program
Nirav Shah, MD
Professor of Medicine
Assistant Dean for Curriculum
Kerri Thom, MD, MS
Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health and Medicine
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Priority Initiatives
- Creative Hearts is a student-run organization supporting the arts and humanities in medicine, with a goal of exposing members of our institution to various forms of creativity as an outlet of expression and escape. We aim not only to teach and nurture curiosity in the creative arts through workshops and seminars, but also to showcase the talents of our fellow students and faculty.
- Trained student leaders serve as accessible, trusted points of contact for peers navigating academic, personal, and emotional stressors. Through structured training and proactive outreach, PSN strengthens community, reduces isolation, and promotes early connection to support resources.
Clerkship Debriefing Curriculum
- Students in their clerkship year will have six sessions (every other month) in which they come together with a small group of students to reflect on their experiences during this formative year. Faculty will receive training in debriefing leadership skills. To begin fall 2026.
Professional Identity Formation Program
- This program creates protected, reflective space within medical training for students to examine their values, purpose, and professional commitments through sustained encounters with visual art. Students spend time cultivating the reflective capacity, empathy, and coherent professional selfhood that define humanistic physicians.
Humanism Education Day
- An educational event aimed at celebrating and promoting humanistic healthcare. The day is structured around the pillars of humanism and humanities in healthcare, and encompasses a rich program of keynote lectures, educational workshops, recognition awards, and an evening banquet. The first Humanism in Healthcare Education Day is coming soon.
Gold Humanism Honor Society & Events
Gold Humanism Honor Society – UMSOM Chapter
GHHS Student Awards
- The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award is awarded to onethe senior student and one faculty member who consistently demonstrates outstanding compassion in the delivery of care and respect for patients, their families and health care colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence.
- The Joanne Hatem, M.D. Memorial Prize recognizes a student who best combines humanism with the clinical study of medicine and exhibits caring and compassion toward patients.
- The Robert R. R. Roberts Award is also granted to a student who combines humanism with the clinical study of medicine and exhibits caring and compassion toward patients.
- The William D. Kaplan, M.D. Award is given to a student who combines humanism with the clinical study of medicine.
- The Robert S. Katz, M.D. Endowed Award for compassion demonstrated by medical students.