National Day of Recognition Honors More Than 167,000 Resident Physicians and Fellows Across the United States
FORT LEE, NJ, UNITED STATES, February 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Nearly 1,000 residency and fellowship programs across the United States will participate in Thank a Resident Day today, marking the largest national participation since the day was established in 2018.
Created by the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a program of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, Thank a Resident Day — held every year on the last Friday in February — shines a spotlight on resident physicians and fellows and the humanistic care they provide to patients every day.
According to newly released national data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), there are now more than 167,000 resident physicians and fellows training in the United States, the highest number on record. After graduating from medical school, these doctors train under senior attending physicians while taking on increasing responsibility for patient care. Residency and fellowship are widely considered among the most demanding phases of a medical career, with long and unpredictable hours — including overnight and 24-hour shifts — being common.
“Resident physicians and fellows work tirelessly day in and day out to ensure kind, safe, trustworthy healthcare,” said Dr. Kathleen Reeves, President and CEO of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. “Not only do they care for patients at the individual level, listening closely and treating patients with dignity and respect, but they are part of making the overall healthcare system more humanistic. Their care matters. On this special Thank a Resident Day, we are grateful for all they do every day and for the impact they will make for all of us in the future.”
Participation in Thank a Resident Day has grown dramatically since its launch, from 31 sites in 2018 to nearly 1,000 this year, the highest number ever. Celebrations are personalized at each site and may include handwritten thank-you notes, public recognition across hospitals and health systems, special meals, wellness activities, and even city proclamations.
Members of the public are encouraged to join the movement by thanking a resident physician or fellow in their community and sharing messages of appreciation on social media using #ThankAResidentDay.
Multiple leading healthcare organizations are joining the Gold Foundation to support Thank a Resident Day, including the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers (AiAMC), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), and Thalamus.
To learn more about Thank a Resident Day, click here.
About The Arnold P. Gold Foundation
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation is the leading national nonprofit that champions humanism in healthcare, defined as clinically excellent care that is kind, safe, and trustworthy. Founded in 1988 by Drs. Arnold and Sandra Gold, the Gold Foundation offers programs, awards, and resources that support physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals beginning in their earliest days of training and throughout their careers. Gold programs include the White Coat Ceremony, the Gold Humanism Honor Society, the Tell Me More® communication tool, and the Gold Humanism Summit. Learn more on the Gold website.
Brianne Alcala
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation
+1 201-567-7999
balcala@gold-foundation.org
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
