Holly J. Humphrey, MD, MACP, former Pritzker School of Medicine Dean for Medical Education and Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation President, has been awarded the 2025 AAMC Award for Excellence in Medical Education, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) announced on Tuesday.
The award is the AAMC's most prestigious recognition, given annually to an individual or team of two individual “whose contributions have had a demonstrable impact on advancing medical education.” The award is given posthumously to Dr. Humphrey following her passing earlier this year.
Dr. Humphrey “was a tireless advocate for advancing excellence in medical education and for supporting learners throughout their education,” the AAMC said in its announcement. “Dr. Humphrey played a central role in transforming the clinical learning environment.”
Dr. Humphrey has also been selected as one of three recipients of the 2025 AAMC Special Recognition Award. She will be honored at the AAMC Presidential Awards Recognition event on Wednesday, October 22 at 3:00 pm CT, and those interested in attending can register to attend the virtual event here.
In nearly 40 years at the University of Chicago, Dr. Humphrey evolved from a Pritzker medical student (’83) into one of the leading voices in medical education across the country. Following an internal medicine residency, a pulmonary and critical care fellowship, and a Chief Residency, Humphrey served for 14 years as Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency program.
Coming to Pritzker as Dean for Medical Education in 2003, Dr. Humphrey took the helm for what would be a transformative period of growth for the school. Under her leadership, Pritzker rose to national prominence as a leader in medical education, research, and inclusive excellence. Her tenure was defined by the development of programs emphasizing diversity and inclusion, mentorship, medical education scholarship, and professionalism.
In the statement announcing the award, current Pritzker Dean for Medical Education Vineet Arora, MD, MAPP, described the University of Chicago as Dr. Humphrey’s “laboratory where she honed and developed her ideas for exemplary clinical learning environments, professional identity formation in emerging physicians, and the importance of mentoring as a means of transmitting the values of the profession.”
Dr. Humphrey was appointed Ralph W. Gerard Professor of Medicine in 2012 and also served in national leadership roles with numerous organizations, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and the American Board of Internal Medicine. In 2018, she stepped down from Pritzker to become the eighth president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, a private philanthropic organization dedicated to improving the education of health professionals.
As head of the Macy Foundation, Humphrey led national efforts to improve and expand health professions education, including a revival of the foundation’s signature Macy Faculty Scholars initiative.
“Dr. Humphrey championed the Macy Foundation’s steadfast commitment to excellence by engaging broad and diverse perspectives, fostering teamwork among future health professionals, and equipping them to address ethical challenges,” the AAMC announcement said.
The University of Chicago community will gather on Monday, October 27 at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel for a memorial to celebrate Dr. Humphrey’s life and legacy. View additional details and RSVP here.