On the afternoon of Friday, May 5, the Glenn Memorial Auditorium was packed with family and friends for the 2023 Doctor of Medicine ceremony. The procession began with bagpipe playing, and a green medical school flag was carefully placed in its place of honor on the stage. Parents stood on balconies taking smartphone videos and photos of the graduates and waving wildly.
Medical faculty and podium parties filled the stage in formal attire. Interim Dean Carlos del Rio welcomed everyone on this “big day,” as Venerable Priya Sulaman, a Buddhist pastor of the Emory Department of Spiritual and Religious Lives, stepped forward to offer prayers. “Let’s be grateful,” he called for strength, motivation and hope in the graduates. “Be bold to live your profession.”
Del Rio welcomed this year’s 128 graduates to its more than 6,000 Emory Medical Alumni worldwide.
“I have a confession to make,” Del Rio said. “Today is a special day for you, but it is also a special day for me. This is also the last time, and another dean will be inaugurated at the next commencement ceremony in 2024. So I share with you all the excitement, the sense of accomplishment, and to some extent the tension, even the fear. For me, who graduated from medical school 40 years ago, this year is also a special year.”
He offered his graduates three pieces of advice as they embarked on a career as a doctor.
- “Learn to say ‘I don’t know.'” Ignorance may not be bliss, but it is the beginning of learning. Committing to lifelong learning means showing your ignorance openly. ”
- “Put patients first, listen to them, and partner with them. One of the medical maxims is, ‘Listen to the patient and he will tell you the diagnosis.’” Make decisions with the patient, not for the patient. There is evidence that genuine partnerships with patients produce better outcomes. ”
- “Be careful. Healthcare is physically and mentally demanding, and mood swings are inevitable. Find a trusted friend or colleague with whom you can share your good and bad days. You are alone.” But remember that there is always someone there for you.”
Del Rio then introduced Nora Volkow, a graduation speaker and psychiatrist who has served for the past 20 years as director of the National Institutes of Health’s Institute on Substance Abuse.
“Dr. Bolkow’s research helps prove that drug addiction is a brain disorder,” Del Rio said. “She is a pioneer in brain imaging to investigate how drug use affects brain function, and her work suggests that changes in the dopamine system are involved in reward and self-control in addiction. It helped me understand how it affects the functioning of the region.”
In addition, Volkow is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Medical Association. She was named one of Time magazine’s “Top 100 People Who Shape Our World”.
The pandemic that this class experienced during medical school “showed the extraordinary power of human knowledge and scientific discovery in dealing with the most serious crises…a vaccine within a year and an infection within two years.” We have an antiviral that will reduce the number of cases,” said Professor Volkow. Severity of illness. ”
Still, the pandemic has highlighted how important social determinants of health are, with certain groups and individuals at higher risk of exposure and death, Bolkow added. “These consequences could have been prevented if social infrastructure had another system to protect them,” she said.
Volkow said the same social factors are contributing to the worsening opioid epidemic.
“Today, as I speak to you, one person dies from an overdose every five minutes. And we can change that.” Technology, innovation, digital health, artificial intelligence and other advances have also accelerated, she said.
“This is a great opportunity. You can make other people’s lives better. This is the essence of being human to me. to help.”
After Mr. Volkow’s opening remarks, faculty awards were presented.
- The “Exemplary Teacher Award” includes Ira, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Dean of Admissions at the School of Medicine, Associate Dean of Medical Education and Student Affairs, and Assistant Professor of Global Health and Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at the School of Medicine.・Mr. Schwartz was selected. Rollins School of Public Health.
- The Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching in Graduate and Professional Education went to Amanda Gillespie, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Chair of Speech Pathology, and Co-Director of the Emory Center for Speech.
- The Papa George Education Award went to Professor of Pediatrics Hughes Evans, and students said he “reminds them of the human side of providing health care” and “celebrates curiosity and encourages them to follow where it leads.” It encourages me,” he said.
Corpus Cordis Aureum (Golden Legion of the Heart) of Emory Medical School was recognized. This year’s group included pre-1973 graduates.
After the hooding of the eight PhD holders and the recognition of the dual degree holders, the hooding of the MD winners took place. Next, according to tradition, the class recited the Hippocratic Oath.
2023 Class of 2023 speaker Alix Rice spoke about his uncle, who had chronic kidney disease but “lived a life full of hope with people.” . . He taught me that it takes more than medicine to face suffering. He motivated me to become a doctor, a healer who combines science and compassion. ”
“We must remember that medicine is as much an art as it is a science. It is not enough to just diagnose disease or manage disease,” Rice continued. “We must explore our patients’ stories and challenge ourselves to be care partners who help them create positive memories.”
Please see the 2023 School of Medicine Entrance Ceremony.