-Erin DuPont and Molly Bowen | June 6, 2025

From left: Dr. Maria Oliva-Hemker, Dr. Jeremy Greene, Dr. Landon King, JHU President Ron Daniels, Dr. Charles Homcy, Dr. Paul Auwaerter, Dr. David Thomas, and Dr. Amita Gupta pose for a photo in front of The Four Doctors painting in the Welch Library West Reading Room.

Paul G. Auwaerter, MD, MBA, the Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Professor of Medicine and clinical director of the Johns Hopkins Division of Infectious Diseases, was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Osler Award for Clinical Excellence, the first award in the Four Doctors Awards series. Dr. Auwaerter received the award on June 3, 2025, in the presence of family, friends, and colleagues at a ceremony in the Welch Medical Library West Reading Room.

Dr. Auwaerter is widely recognized as a leading infectious diseases clinician who embodies William Osler's legacy of clinical expertise, outstanding patient care, and exceptional teaching and mentorship. His diagnostic acumen and bedside manner put patients at ease, while his attention to detail in building impactful clinical programs has transformed infectious diseases care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Under Dr. Auwaerter’s leadership, inpatient follow-up rates for infectious diseases increased by 1,500% over five years. As executive director of the Johns Hopkins Point-of-Care Information Technology Center, Dr. Auwaerter has made significant contributions to medical education, and his scholarship has helped advance clinical research of infectious diseases globally. Dr. Auwaerter also served as president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (2017-2018), the world’s largest professional society for infectious diseases clinicians and investigators.

The awards are inspired by John Singer Sargent’s masterful work, The Four Doctors (1906), which is a feature of the Welch West Reading Room. Commissioned by the Johns Hopkins Board of Trustees in honor of Mary Elizabeth Garrett whose endowment established the School of Medicine in1889, the painting depicts the four lead teaching physicians at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at that time: Drs. William Henry Welch, William Stewart Halsted, William Osler, and Howard Atwood Kelly. The Four Doctors Awards series consists of four distinct awards: the Osler Award for Clinical Excellence, the Welch Award for Excellence in Basic Science Research, the Halsted Award for Excellence in Translational Research, and the Kelly Award for Excellence in Medical Education. The award series is made possible by the generosity of Charles Homcy, an alumnus of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (AB ’70, human biology) and the School of Medicine (MD ’73). Dr. Homcy’s establishment of this award series honors the Four Doctors and ensures that future generations remain aware of their legacy.

Dr. Landon King, Executive Vice Dean for Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, offered an opening welcome, and Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels and Dr. Charles Homcy reflected on the establishment of the award and Dr. Auwaerter’s dedication to patients, trainees, and scientific advancement. Dr. Jeremy Greene, William H. Welch Professor of the History of Medicine, told the story of The Four Doctors painting and the history of William Osler, and Drs. David Thomas and Amita Gupta, the former and current Infectious Diseases Division Directors, respectively, spoke about Dr. Auwaerter’s knowledge, approach, and charismatic leadership. The award was presented to Dr. Auwaerter by Dr. Maria Oliva-Hemker, Vice Dean for Faculty at the School of Medicine. A reception was held directly following the ceremony.