Medical Education
Dear students and staff,

Every year, three distinguished members of the UCSF School of Medicine’s graduating class are inducted into the Gold-Headed Cane Society. The honorees are nominated by students and faculty as students who exemplify the qualities of a "true physician."

The class of 2020's honorees are Angel Rosario, Sarah Takimoto, and Tiana Woolridge.
Sarah Takimoto
For Sarah Takimoto, the qualities of a true physician include an intense commitment to compassionate and culturally sensitive care of all patients, including those whom are most vulnerable in society. The qualities of a true physician also encompass a responsibility to teach these skills to the current generation of medical trainees. Lastly, Sarah Takimoto prizes humility as a key quality of a true physician in her approach to patients and colleagues. The latter was evidenced by her belief that many of her very accomplished peers are equally deserving of this honor.
Tiana Woolridge
When asked to reflect on the characteristics of a true physician, Tiana Woolridge thinks of someone who is open-hearted and open-minded, a patient listener, genuine and humble, able to be fully present and mindful with their patients, honest, and fully committed. She thinks of someone who is attuned to suffering, who leads with the heart, and who is driven to help others. Tiana has embodied these characteristics during her medical school journey, and it is little wonder that her classmates nominated her as one of their representatives for the Gold Headed Cane Society.
Angel Rosario
Nominated by the 2020 UCSF Medical School Class as Recipient of the Gold Headed Cane

Angel’s parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic just before he was born. While in kindergarten in Harlem, Angel was identified as gifted, and placed in an accelerated program. An opportunity for schooling in the Upper Westside neighborhood, led to his realization that the world was divided by disparities in opportunity. This unfairness drives his passion for social justice. 

Angel earned his undergraduate degree from University of Buffalo during which he traveled to Uganda and confronted the relationship between socio-economic status and health. This link inspired him to join AmeriCorps where he served at a FQHC in Los Angeles for six years as he prepared his application for medical school.

On the medical school interview trail, Angel heard repeatedly that UCSF was driven by service and social justice. Angel was thrilled to be accepted into the UCSF PRIME program, and spent an extra year earning his MPH at Harvard as a Zuckerman Fellow. There, he met weekly with 15 graduate students from the schools of law, business, and education developing public service skills. Angel chose general surgery for his future career. He was specifically inspired by Hobart Harris, Michael Conte and Linda Reilly at UCSF, whom Angel describes as spectacular surgeons who appreciate the influence of disparities in their work. Angel’s activities at UCSF have included the Peer Teaching Program, Youth Creating Change, and organizing demonstrations for the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando and White Coats For Black Lives alongside other UCSF community members. Angel shares his reflections on social media. 

Angel will start his residency at Columbia University. We are privileged to have been part of his journey. Congratulations Angel, and welcome to the Gold Headed Cane Society! 
We look forward to seeing the positive impact these honorees' will have on their patients and communities in the years to come. Congratulations to the honorees and the class of 2020.

Sincerely,