Introduction: Medical training could not occur without the contributions of patients. Few programs are available that recognize patients for their essential role in medical education, and even fewer explore their impact. The Patients as Teachers (PaT) program was developed to provide an opportunity for medical students to formally honor patients for their contributions and to evaluate their effect on students’ medical education.

Methods: This qualitative study involved the evaluation of transcripts of audiotaped interviews conducted with students and their honorees following participation in the PaT program in 2015 and 2016. Two different sets of authors independently examined transcripts from each year utilizing a descriptive coding strategy. Consensus was reached on theme selection and relationships between themes explored for theory development. A third author ensured grounding of the concepts in the data analyzed.

Results: Four themes emerged: (1) appreciating humanism in medicine, (2) expressing gratitude, (3) connecting patients and students, and (4) experiencing a unique event.

Conclusion: The Patients as Teachers program provides meaningful benefits to both students and patients and has the potential to infuse elements of humanism into medical training.