Ed Kobayashi. Contributed photo.
Edward Kobayashi, who was among the inaugural class to graduate from the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, is this year’s recipient of the $1,000 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
The award recognizes the value of humanism in the delivery of care to patients and their families.
“I am so honored and humbled to receive this recognition and I am full of gratitude to have been surrounded by peers and faculty who exemplify the spirit of the Tow Humanism Award,” Kobayashi said.
“Ed is a person of integrity and conviction,” said Anna-leila Williams, associate professor of medical sciences at Quinnipiac. “He has all the attributes of an outstanding physician – intelligence, kindness, generosity and social justice advocacy. I’m thrilled Ed has been nominated by his peers to receive national recognition from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.”
While at Quinnipiac, Kobayashi was selected by his fellow medical students to be their peer advocate. In that role, he served as a confidante for students who may be struggling in their academic, clinical or personal settings. He provided his peers support, facilitated access to mental health and wellness resources and offered advice on navigating challenges during the clinical years. He also devoted extensive time to assessing the academic, clinical, and career-related needs of his peers and communicating their needs to the administration of the medical school.
Kobayashi said, “Our ability to put ourselves in our patient’s shoes is one of the most important parts of what we do. I recognize that this award represents the heart of medicine that I must keep spreading through the rest of my career.”