Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
The Leonard Tow Award is a prestigious award given through the Gold Humanism Honor Society to one graduating student and one faculty member who go beyond what is expected of them and thus further promoting the ideals of the Society. These ideals, per the Arnold P. Gold Foundation are "outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence." The Gold Foundation sponsors the annual Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards for a graduating student and faculty member at over 85 of the nation's medical schools. This award is presented to the student and faculty member who best demonstrate the Foundation's ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence.
Past award winners
2013-2014 Award winners - Dr. Neil Cox & Dr. Sarkis Kouyoumjian
Neil will be completing his Family Medicine Residency at University of Wisconsin.
Sarkis Richard Kouyoumjian, M.D., graduated from the WSU School of Medicine in 1998 and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Detroit Receiving Hospital in 2001. He completed the American College of Emergency Physicians Teaching Fellowship in 2007. He is an assistant professor and clinical instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at WSU School of Medicine. Under the guidance and mentoring of Dr. Larry Schwartz, he became the clerkship director in 2007, having previously held the position of assistant clerkship director from 2002 to 2007. He was recently the Keynote Speaker for the Class of 2011 Baccalaureate.
Dr. Kouyoumjian was the recipient of the Staff Award in 2010, given students for excellence in clinical teaching. He received the departmental Medical Student Teacher of the Year Award in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011. He was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2010 and has served on several Wayne State University School of Medicine committees. He has served nationally on the Clerkship Directors for Emergency Medicine Curriculum Committee and he is an oral board examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He has been a Clinical Pathological Case discussant and a guest speaker at the Council of Residency Directors. Dr. Kouyoumjian is dedicated to ensuring students and residents become caring and compassionate physicians.
2012-2013 Award winners - Paul Thomas and Dr. James Meza, MD, MSA
From left to right: Dr. James Meza, Jenna Kado MS3, Paul Thomas MS4, Dr Maryjean Schenk, Jessica Vavra MS4.Paul will be completing his Family Medicine Residency at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan.
Dr. Meza is a Family Physician and a faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences and is also the Research Director at Oakwood Annapolis Family Medicine Residency. He is a small group instructor in the Clinical Medicine course and the Director of the Translational Medicine Course. He is also near completion of his PhD in Philosophy. He is published in the area of healing including the book Integrating Narrative Medicine and Evidence Based Medicine: the everyday social practice of healing. Radcliffe Publishing, Ltd, London, New York April. 11, 2011. Many of the students and residents he has taught over the years agree how important his teachings have been in the care of the whole patient: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.