Every medical student has a unique reason for wanting to become a doctor and for Sarah George, M.D., OUWB ’25, it was a recurring theme in courses she took as an undergraduate.

The theme?

The barriers that keep some people from receiving adequate health care.

It was a topic talked about particularly in the Kalamazoo College courses George took for her minors: anthropology and sociology (she majored in biology).

“Health care and medicine came up a lot in terms of what barriers certain people face in getting good health care and that was something that really pushed me toward medicine,” said George. “There are opportunities for us to make things more accessible to everyone.”

George said a strong desire to do something about such obstacles not only helped her decide to become a physician but also has influenced her commitment to serving those in need.

And it’s a big reason George was named recipient of the 2025 OUWB Leonard Tow Humanism Award presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

She was recognized at the 11th Annual Faircloth Evening of Medical Humanism, and again at the 2025 OUWB Honors Convocation. 

The award recognizes graduating medical students and faculty members who are exemplars of humanism in the care of patients. (Ty Kwaiser, M.D., assistant professor and course director, Obstetrics and Gynecology, was the faculty recipient.)

 Any M4 from the current class is eligible.

Students are nominated by peers and finalists are required to create a personal statement describing how they believe they have embodied humanism in medicine. The recipient is selected by a review committee consisting of OUWB Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) alumni. Recipients receive a certificate, $500, and become inducted as lifelong members of GHHS.

George, who matched in March in psychiatry at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, said she was “very honored” to be named this year’s Tow award recipient.

“I know that so many of my classmates embody these values every day in their lives…so I was very honored,” she said.

While at OUWB, George was involved in several service-oriented initiatives. They included: the Student-Run Free Clinic at the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic in Pontiac; volunteering during the school’s days of service; hygiene product drives; and serving children and families working with individuals with intellectual disabilities through the Special Olympics of Michigan and OU Cares.

“She looks forward to exploring these interests and others as a future psychiatrist while striving to provide humanistic care to her patients and communities,” said Jason Wasserman, Ph.D., Dean’s Distinguished Professor, while introducing her during honors convocation.

George said receiving the award also prompted her to reflect as she moves into residency and beyond. Specifically, she said, she recommitted to upholding the values that led to her receiving the award.

“(It’s) recognizing that it’s not just an award, but a responsibility to keep upholding these values,” she said.

For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at [email protected].

To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.

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