John J. Hagan, MD, clinical associate professor and vice chair of internal medicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Southwest Campus in Bismarck, was honored with the prestigious Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty Award at the medical school’s commencement on May 16. Taylor G. Mertz, MD, a 2011 UND medical school graduate, received the Tow award for graduating medical students.

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards are sponsored by the New Jersey-based Arnold P. Gold Foundation. The awards recognize a physician and a graduating medical student who best demonstrate the foundation’s ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families and health care colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence. The Gold Foundation sponsors the annual Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards at over 85 of the nation’s medical schools. The awards are made possible through a generous donation from entrepreneur and teacher Leonard Tow.

“Dr. Hagan is a true example of compassion in medicine, cultural sensitivity, nonjudgmental treatment, and commitment to professional and ethical standards all while working in a challenging environment,” said Jean Gustafson, MD, UND Class of 2011, in nominating Hagan for the award.

Hagan is the physician for the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Bismarck.  He graduated from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1991. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at the former Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colo., and he is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Hagan has won the UND Family Practice Center–Bismarck’s Excellence in Teaching Award three times. He is a four-time recipient of the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Teacher of the Year award.

“Out of my two years of clinical rotations, the month I spent with Dr. Hagan was the most influential four weeks of my schooling,” Gustafson said.

Fargo native Taylor G. Mertz, MD 2011, was nominated by classmate Zachary Ernst. “Taylor determined his specialty based on which would allow him to help the most people,” Ernst said. “This is humanism at its core.” 

“I distinctly remember a conversation during our third year when I was struggling to choose a specialty,” Ernst said. “Taylor had already decided on family practice, as he was truly interested in primary care and helping people. He said to me, ‘I chose family practice more for the people than the medicine. I do enjoy the medicine, but I really enjoy the people.’”