Pomona College is honoring Dr. Pamela Schaff with the 2026 Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award for her ground-breaking work in the humanities and medicine.
Friends from the Class of 1976 with Cecil. Left to right: Kris Fossum, Schaff, Laurie Christensen, Lynn Forester, John Siciliano.
One of her favorite parts of teaching is leading medical students in studying a poem alongside their mentors in narrative medicine workshops, as they learn how to listen attentively, and with humility, to patients’ stories.
As a busy pre-health student at Pomona College, Dr. Pamela Schaff ’76 wasn’t easily overwhelmed by her heavy reading load. She juggled organic chemistry and 18th-century British Literature with confidence and a lighthearted spirit.
So, when one of her favorite professors, Edward Copeland, an emeritus professor of English, broke down in tears during class reading a passage about the human condition from “The Life of Samuel Johnson,” it caught Schaff off guard — in a good way.
“The idea that this professor felt so deeply, and chose to share not only Johnson’s wisdom but his own sensibility and vulnerability, made me feel that I was in exactly the right place,” Schaff says.
That “right place” became a springboard for Schaff from which she could develop and share her knowledge and appreciation for her own unique blend of science and humanities.
A national leader in medical education, Schaff is among the pioneers of narrative medicine, launching the country’s second master’s program in the field and helping advance the integration of the arts and humanities into physician training.
Pomona is honoring Schaff’s enduring impact with the 2026 Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni who demonstrate exceptional achievement in their professions or community service.
Schaff is a professor of medical education, family medicine and pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of its Humanities, Ethics, Art, and the Law (HEAL) Program and the Master of Science in Narrative Medicine Program. Widely recognized for excellence in teaching and mentoring, she has received numerous awards for her contributions. Alongside her academic work, she continues to practice pediatrics.
Schaff says that she is particularly honored to accept an award intended for those who live up to President James A. Blaisdell's words that are inscribed on the Gates which encourage Pomona graduates to “bear their added riches” to benefit humankind.
“I’m pretty sure I walked past them every day, since I was forever crossing Sixth Street on my way north for my science and math class, or south for English and humanities,” Schaff says, laughing. She adds that while there wasn’t much time for formal extracurricular activities, she loved hanging out with friends, going to concerts and skiing at Mount Baldy, which can be seen from that very corner on Sixth Street.
“I’m still working on it, but I know I left Pomona with so many ‘added riches’ — intellectual and personal growth, a habit of curiosity, interdisciplinary imagination, comfort with complexity, meaningful friendships and so much more,” Schaff says.
Classmate Barbara Schwartz ’76 says Schaff’s persistent desire to learn, teach and break new ground is amazing and reflects the student she was more than 50 years ago.
“During her time at Pomona, she managed to complete studies as an English major and pursue all the pre-med requirements, a combination that was rarely accomplished,” Schwartz says. “She is truly a standout from our class and deserving of this honor.”
Schaff went on to earn her medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, graduating first in her class, and completing her residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Schaff was already a practicing pediatrician and educator when she learned about the field of narrative medicine, which was founded by Dr. Rita Charon. Inspired by the field, she went back to school twenty-five years after graduating from Pomona to earn her doctorate in literature and creative writing from the University of Southern California.
Today, one of her favorite parts of teaching is leading medical students in studying a poem alongside their mentors in narrative medicine workshops, as they learn how to listen attentively, and with humility, to patients’ stories.
“Pomona College provides you with the foundation to be a good interpreter of stories, to be tolerant of uncertainty, to be able to take on perspectives other than your own,” Schaff says. “I hope I can continue to pay forward, in some small way, what Pomona has given me.”
Visit our website to read about the 2026 Pomona College alumni award honorees.