Genevieve L. Preer, MD, Receives Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Genevieve L. Preer, MD, has been chosen as the recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. This award is presented to faculty 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 clinical excellence.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, Dr. Preer attended the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. She completed her residency in the Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston Children’s Hospital.

Since 2009, Dr. Preer has worked as a primary care pediatrician at BMC where her interests include immigrant health, children who have experienced adversity and children in foster care. She is a member of the hospital’s Child Protection Team, which works with patients, families and staff to protect children from abuse and neglect. In this role, she consults on cases of suspected abuse and neglect across clinical departments and supervises fourth-year medical students who rotate with the team. Additionally, Dr. Preer serves as a Co-leader for the Pediatric Subcommittee of the hospital’s Immigrant Health Task Force and is Physician Leader for Schwartz Center Rounds at BMC. In 2016, she was selected as a member of the hospital’s Peer Supporter program and the next year received the Excellence in Care Award from the Boston University Medical Group.

Her interests include child abuse prevention, health advocacy and equity, medical-legal partnerships, immigrant health and social justice.

One of her students wrote, “As a young medical student interested in pediatrics, Professor Preer’s elegance, efficiency, and efficacy at navigating … complex situations was amazing to see, and lit a spark in my life.”

A colleague wrote, “What really makes her a hero is that she runs into the fire when everyone else runs away … Professor Preer has saved children’s lives, aided in the rescue of young boys and girls who were being sexually, mentally and physically abused, compassionately rendered excellent clinical care, all while maintaining her own panel of primary care patients … (She) is a dedicated pediatrician, excellent physician, an exemplary educator, an undying advocate and a wonderful mentor.”

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation is a public, nonprofit organization founded by Drs. Arnold and Sandra Gold to perpetuate the tradition of the caring doctor by emphasizing the importance of the relationship between the practitioner and the patient. Our objective is to help physicians-in-training become doctors who combine the high tech skills of cutting edge medicine with the high touch skills of effective communication, empathy and compassion.