May 17, 2018
The Class of 2018 received their doctoral hoods in a special graduation ceremony at the Hippodrome Theater on May 17.
Hundreds of family, friends, and faculty were there to cheer on the 146 graduates as they officially transitioned from students to doctors. “Today, you stand upon the very precipice of your dreams becoming a reality,” said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. “You have been trained by a dedicated team of faculty members, whom are amongst the very best in the world. Therefore, in the words of philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, 'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. You are ready'."
Class President Saikrishna Gourishetti, MD, and his classmates seemed to agree. “We’re finally doctors, let’s go!" he said, to a chorus of cheers from the crowd. He also shared a story about his classmate Carleigh Benton, MD, who successfully resuscitated an elderly man who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at a University of Maryland basketball game. “I encourage each and every one of you to remember Carleigh’s experience when called upon to help in the middle of the night as an intern, or during your daily lives outside of the hospital—to use what we have learned at this great institution with courage and confidence.”
In an inspirational keynote speech, Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, MA, PhD, president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, urged the graduates to remember the altruistic values that inspired them to embark on the journey to medicine. “People look to you for trust and respect, and it is key that you remember the humanity of each person,” he said. Dr. Hrabowski, a prominent educator, advocate and mathematician, is regarded as an innovative and visionary academic leader. He encouraged the class of 2018 to work assiduously and challenged them to keep humility at the forefront of their careers. “When I look into your faces, I see beacons of hope. Every one of you will touch thousands of lives,” he said. “I challenge you to watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they became your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
View Dr. Hrabowski's address
Faculty speaker Devang M. Patel, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, advised students to pay attention to patient narratives. “Let’s not forget that which first drew you to medicine. We want to help people. We want to help by providing comfort to patients when they are most vulnerable – this is where the narrative matters. This is where the patient’s story matters,” he said. Dean Reece also encouraged the future doctors to realize the impact they can have. “Whether you are treating patients, unlocking mysteries of health and disease, or mentoring the next generation of physicians and scientists, you are changing lives,” he said.
Michael Cryor, president of the Cryor Group and Chair of the UMSOM Board of Visitors, was also inspired by the class. “I share this celebration with pride, in what each of you have accomplished. Your exceptionality, your discipline, your patience, and your perseverance – these things are essential to what you have achieved and to what lies ahead.”
Graduation ceremonies were also held on May 17 for the Department of Medical and Research Technology (DMRT) and the Masters in Genetic Counseling program. The Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science and The Department of Epidemiology & Public Health will have their graduation exercises on May 18.
UMSOM 2018 Graduation Image Gallery:
Powered by flickr embed.
UMSOM 2018 Graduation Videos:
About the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Commemorating its 210th Anniversary, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 43 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished recipient of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically-based care for more than 1.2 million patients each year. The School has over 2,500 students, residents, and fellows, and nearly $450 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total workforce of nearly 7,000 individuals. The combined School and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact in excess of $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8th-highest public medical school in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu/
Contact
Office of Public Affairs
655 West Baltimore Street
Bressler Research Building 14-002
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1559
Contact Media Relations
(410) 706-5260
Related stories
Friday, May 24, 2024
UMSOM Bids Farewell to the Class of 2024
Graduates in the Class of 2024 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) gathered at the Hippodrome Theatre on May16, along with their families, friends, and School of Medicine faculty and staff, to celebrate their official transition from medical students to physicians. UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, presided over the ceremony marking his second UMSOM graduation as the 31st dean of the School. The graduating class of 139 physicians received their doctoral hoods in front of the assembled audience. Several graduates earned combined MD/Masters and MD/PhD degrees.
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Saying Farewell to the UMSOM Class of 2022
After four years of hard work and perseverance, graduates of the Class of 2022 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) gathered at the Hippodrome Theatre on May 19 to celebrate their official transition from medical students to physicians. This year’s ceremony was especially significant for two reasons: It was the first grand scale in-person graduation celebration since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the final commencement ceremony over which current UMSOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA would preside. The graduating class of 148 physicians, who earned medical degrees, along with others who earned combined MD/Masters and MD/PhD degrees, received their doctoral hoods in front of hundreds of family members, friends, and faculty.
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to Deliver Graduation Address to the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s 213th Graduating Class
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, will deliver the keynote address for this year’s graduating class. The UMSOM graduation ceremony will take place at the Hippodrome Theatre on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Doors open at 12:00 pm, the procession begins at 1:30 pm, and the ceremony begins at 2:00 pm.
Friday, May 15, 2020
UMSOM Holds Virtual Commencement to Celebrate Class of 2020
For the first time in the school’s 211-year history, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) held a virtual commencement ceremony to celebrate the Class of 2020 on May 14. The ceremony marked the culmination of at least four years of studies for the 166 newly minted physicians, who earned medical degrees as well as combined MD/PhD and MD/Masters degrees.
Friday, May 17, 2019
So Long, Farewell, Class of 2019
The Class of 2019 received their doctoral hoods in a special graduation ceremony at the Hippodrome Theater on May 17. The ceremony marked the culmination of at least four years of studies for the 162 physicians, who earned medical degrees, as well as combined MD/PhD and MD/Masters degrees. Hundreds of family, friends, and faculty were there to cheer on the graduates as they officially transitioned from students to doctors.
Thursday, May 02, 2019
Leading Child Health Expert and NIH Official Dr. Diana Bianchi to Deliver Graduation Address to the University of Maryland School of Medicine's 210th Graduating Class
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Diana W. Bianchi, MD, Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), will deliver the keynote address for this year’s graduating class. The UMSOM graduation ceremony will take place at the Hippodrome Theatre on May 16. Doors open at 12:30 pm, the procession begins at 1:30 pm and the ceremony begins at 2:00 pm.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Annual Student Awards Ceremony Recognizes Top Graduates
Following four years of countless tests, late-night study groups, and many cups of coffee, events leading up to graduation began with the 12th annual Student Awards Ceremony and Dinner.
Tuesday, May 01, 2018
UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski to Deliver Graduation Address to University of Maryland School of Medicine's 209th Graduating Class
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, MA, PhD, President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), will deliver the keynote address for this year’s graduating class. The UMSOM graduation ceremony will take place at 10 am on May 17, 2018 at the Hippodrome Theatre.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
So Long and Farewell to the Class of 2017
The Class of 2017 were the stars as they celebrated their graduation ceremony at the Hippodrome Theater on May 18. Hundreds of family, friends and faculty were there to cheer on the 160 graduates as they officially transitioned from students to doctors. “This celebration is also about you and, indeed, for you,” E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine, told the families “This celebration is also about you and, indeed, for you.
Monday, April 24, 2017
New York Times Science Journalist Gina Kolata to Deliver Graduation Address to University of Maryland School of Medicine's 208th Graduating Class
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, along with students, parents, families, faculty and other members of the UM SOM community, will welcome award-winning science journalist and University of Maryland alumna, Gina Kolata, MS, as the graduation speaker for this year’s graduating class. The UM SOM graduation ceremony will take place at 10am on May 18, 2017 at the Hippodrome Theater. As this year’s speaker, Ms. Kolata will receive an honorary Dean’s Medal from the UM SOM.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Annual Student Awards Ceremony Recognizes Top Graduates
The events leading up to Graduation 2016 kicked off in a special way the evening of May 18 with the 10th Annual Student Awards Ceremony and Dinner. Held at the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center, the awards dinner provided an opportunity to recognize the accomplished graduating students who have received scholarships, awards, and other academic prizes.