After a bagpipe procession set the tone for the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) M.D. diploma ceremony May 20, Jeffrey Akman, M.D., interim vice president for health affairs and dean of SMHS, warmly welcomed the class of 2012. He thanked the family and friends of the graduates for supporting them throughout their journey to becoming doctors.
Akman began the ceremony by honoring five members of the faculty who were granted Emeritus status by the GW Board of Trustees: Jules I. Cahan, M.D., professor Emeritus, Department of Surgery; Peter R. Holbrook, M.D., professor Emeritus, Department of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics; Massoud Majd, M.D., professor Emeritus, Department of Radiology and Pediatrics; Lowell M. Weiss, M.D., clinical professor Emeritus, Department of Internal Medicine; and John F. Williams, Jr., M.D., Ed.D., M.P.H., professor Emeritus, Department of Anesthesia.
Next, class valedictorian Meghan Elizabeth Bishop introduced the keynote speaker, Congresswoman Donna Christensen, M.D. ’70. Congresswoman Christensen inspired the graduates with her candor by describing the realities of the world of medicine and challenges that lie ahead for the graduates.
Congresswoman Christensen reminisced about her time in medical school, noting the vast improvements that have been made in medical education. She recalled the world events that framed her time at GW, including the Vietnam War, the moon landing, the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Poor People’s Campaign – an event that helped shape her career as a physician and a politician. Congresswoman Christensen also referenced historical events that have taken place during the graduates’ time at GW, such as President Obama’s election as the first black president, the formation of the Tea Party, the recession, and the creation of the Affordable Care Act. She explained that these events will be a part of each person’s life and will influence the practice of medicine in the future. Congresswoman Christensen impressed upon the class the importance of recognizing health disparities and said that closing the health care gap is key to having a productive health care system. “Patriotism and dedication brought you to medicine,” Congresswoman Christensen said. She challenged the class of 2012 to “improve the quality of life for those in your nation.”
Following Congresswoman Christensen’s remarks, the 175 graduates of the class of 2012 walked across the stage of Lisner Auditorium and were hooded by members of the faculty, accepted their diploma, and signed the SMHS graduate registry. Next, graduate Bahareh Tavana Gordon, provided a humorous summation of the trials and tribulations of the past four years, spoke of the class of 2012’s accomplishments, both scholastically and within the community, and challenged her fellow graduates to always “stay true to why you’ve entered medicine, stay engaged, and stay present. Remember why you chose to be a physician.”
Finally, Akman addressed the graduates before leading them in the reciting the Hippocratic Oath. Life is a moment between “interims,” he explained. Change and disruption are commonplace in today’s society and the ethical decisions and the type of person and physician one becomes will fill the gaps between the interims and define a person’s life and career. He said that on the graduation day, there were three definite things that would take place – 1) the graduates would become physicians; 2) the graduates would become alumni of the SMHS; and 3) the graduates would embrace the ideals of the Hippocratic oath. Akman called the oath “a powerful reminder that professionalism is at the core of being a physician.” He beseeched the graduates to always put patients first and live without regrets – to be physicians “of high moral character.” As the graduates recited the same Hippocratic oath as on the day they donned their white coats for the first time, a new chapter of their lives began.
At the commencement’s conclusion, the bagpipers’ closing procession ushered the graduates out into the world as doctors.
