CMSRU faculty member and alumna named 2026-2027 Gold Humanism Scholar

A Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) faculty member and graduate of the school's charter class was selected for one of the nation's most prestigious faculty development programs in humanistic medical education.

Cynthia Glickman, MD, assistant professor of medicine at CMSRU and a member of the school's inaugural Class of 2016, was named the 2026-2027 Gold Humanism Scholar at the Harvard Macy Institute. She was nominated for the national honor by Annette C. Reboli, MD, dean of CMSRU, in recognition of her longstanding commitment to compassionate patient care, innovative medical education and service to the community.

"Cynthia represents the best of CMSRU," Reboli said. "As a member of our charter class, she embraced our mission from the beginning, and she has returned to educate the next generation of physicians with the same compassion, humility and commitment to service that distinguished her as a student."

The prestigious scholarship includes a $5,000 award to participate in the Harvard Macy Institute's 8-month Program for Educators in the Health Professions. Through the program, Dr. Glickman will develop an interprofessional Therapeutic Violence Mitigation (TVM) curriculum for fourth-year CMSRU students and nurse residents at Cooper University Health Care.

Dr. Glickman serves as assistant professor of medicine at CMSRU, medical director of Inpatient Personalized Care Plans, co-site director of hospital medicine at Cooper University Health Care, assistant internal medicine clerkship director, faculty of the Edward D. Viner Center for Humanism and advisor to the CMSRU Gold Humanism Honor Society chapter.

A hospitalist at Cooper University Health Care, Dr. Glickman helped establish an interdisciplinary Therapeutic Violence Mitigation team after the COVID-19 pandemic in response to increasing violence toward healthcare workers. Working alongside colleagues in psychiatry, psychology, nursing and hospital security, the team developed personalized care plans, proactive interventions and coordinated bedside support that reduced violent incidents among the hospital's highest-risk patients by more than 70 percent.

Building on that success, Dr. Glickman's Harvard Macy project will expand Therapeutic Violence Mitigation education to fourth-year medical students while continuing to train nurse residents. The curriculum will incorporate case-based discussions, reflective practice, collaboration with hospital security and perspectives from community organizations to help future healthcare professionals better understand and compassionately care for patients whose behaviors may interfere with medical treatment.

"Violence mitigation isn't simply about preventing difficult situations," Glickman said. "It's about understanding the circumstances that lead to them and equipping healthcare professionals with the skills to respond in ways that preserve dignity, strengthen relationships and improve outcomes for everyone involved."

Dr. Glickman's dedication to humanism began while she was a CMSRU student, when she was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society and embraced the school's guiding principle, "Camden is our classroom; Camden is our home." Dean Reboli noted in her nomination that the philosophy continues to shape Dr. Glickman's approach to patient care and medical education, emphasizing collaboration, education and respect for the experiences of every member of the community.

"Her work demonstrates that humanism and patient safety go hand in hand," Reboli said. "By creating innovative approaches that improve care for patients while supporting healthcare professionals, she is making a meaningful difference both in our institution and in medical education."

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation established the Gold Humanism Scholar program to support educators developing innovative projects that advance compassionate, relationship-centered healthcare. As part of the program, Dr. Glickman will receive mentorship from Gauri Agarwal, MD, associate dean for curriculum and professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a previous Gold Humanism Scholar.

"It is an incredible honor to be selected as a Gold Humanism Scholar," Glickman said. "CMSRU instilled in me the belief that every patient deserves compassionate, respectful care, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to build on that foundation while preparing future physicians and nurses to provide safe, empathetic, patient-centered care."

Dr. Glickman's selection reflects CMSRU's continued commitment to preparing physicians who combine clinical excellence with empathy, service and humanism – values that have defined the school since its founding.