The Arnold P. Gold Foundation established the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) in 2002 as a way to recognize individuals in medicine who exemplified empathy, compassion, respect, integrity, and altruism within their realm of patient care. GHHS was in part inspired by medical educators who felt the need to identify individuals that would be both academically and compassionately outstanding future physicians.

Every year the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson selects 15% of the third-year medical student class to be inducted into GHHS. These students demonstrate the ideals and qualities of the honor society, and they will continue to pursue humanism in medicine throughout residency and as future physicians. The members of GHHS keep patient care at the heart of their practice; as such, these individuals create meaningful and genuine relationships with their patients which we believe is part of the holistic healing art of medicine.