Following the MD graduation and diploma ceremony, leaders from GW SMHS celebrated the commitment of three members of the MD Class of 2026 during the Military Promotion and Advancing Star ceremony. During the event, Caroline Cox, Emile Kuyl, and John Wainwright took the military oath, officially transitioning from medical students to active-duty officers in the United States Navy.
Steven Davis, MD, associate dean for student affairs and administration, led the ceremony, which featured remarks from Richard Southby, PhD, Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at GW and retired colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, as well as Kevin O’Connor, DO, adjunct associate professor of medicine at GW SMHS, retired colonel in the U.S. Army, and former physician to the President.
The graduates, Davis noted, will “begin the next stage of training and service, committed to the care of those who protect and defend our nation, its citizens, and the ideals we hold dear. This is a very special moment. In serving your country, you have, each of you, chosen to do something remarkable and appropriate.”
Emile Kuyl will complete an orthopedic surgery residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Caroline Cox and John Wainwright will travel to Naval Base San Diego, where Cox will begin an otolaryngology residency and Wainwright will pursue anesthesiology training.
“I’d like to congratulate you to the new graduates and wish you all the best in your upcoming assignments,” added Southby, who helped establish GW’s military promotion ceremony in appreciation for the commitment GW graduates make.
In his remarks, O’Connor, who served 22 years in the Army, including tours of duty with the 82nd Airborne Division, 75th Ranger Regiment, and United States Army Special Operations Command, and who was designated a master flight surgeon in 2010, emphasized the significance of serving as both medical professionals and military officers. He expressed pride in the graduates’ commitment to serving their country and encouraged them to embrace the unique opportunities and challenges those dual roles present.
