MD, PhD Graduates Urged to Become Change Makers

MD students standing reciting hippocratic oathAs she opened the convocation ceremony, Karen Antman, MD, BUMC provost and dean of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, noted that graduation is one of the most joyous annual events of academic life, while reminding the Class of 2024 that doctorates of philosophy and medicine convey considerable public trust.

With so much unrest around the world, natural disasters and medical challenges on a global scale, “We hope that you will become leaders in solving these issues,” said Antman.

The May 16 convocation at BU’s Track & Tennis Center bestowed 35 PhD, 144 MD, four combined MD/PhDs, three combined MD/MBAs, one MD/JD and two MD/OMFS (Oral Maxillofacial Surgery) degrees. Fifteen students earned cum laude honors, five magna cum laude and two students, Jonathan Berlowitz and Sarah Golden, graduated summa cum laude.

“The faculty know that you will use the knowledge, the research and clinical skills that you have mastered here to make a difference in the world going forward,” said C. James McKnight, PhD, associate dean and provost of Graduate Medical Sciences.

PhD student speaker Josiane Fofana standing with her son getting hooded
PhD student speaker Josiane Fofana with her 3-year-old.

Two student speakers were chosen by their peers – Josiane Fofana was selected by PhD students.

“(I am) truly humbled, because humility reminds me of how far I’ve come and how much more there is to accomplish,” said Fofana who grew up in Senegal, moving to Boston in 2011 where she completed an associate degree in biological sciences at Bunker Hill Community College, followed by a BS in biochemistry from Brandeis University and finally her PhD in virology, microbiology & immunology at BU.

She asked students to look beyond their degree.

“In the pursuit of knowledge, we often overlook the importance of emotional intelligence,” said Fofana. “Brilliance devoid of empathy just renders us empty, contributing to the injustice in this world.”

Fofana is the mother of a 3-year-old and founded a non-profit providing quality and STEM-based education to children in Dakar, Senegal. She is pursuing a postdoctoral position at the University of Ghana as a Fogarty Global Health Fellow.

“Do not think that the degree or leadership position you’re holding grants you the ultimate wisdom on every issue,” Fofana cautioned. “Remain open to others’ experiences…embrace discomfort in order to grow.”

four students lined up in regalia waiting to march inSelected as a student speaker by her MD classmates, Bridgette Merriman grew up in Rochester, New York, graduated from Boston College and will be a pediatric resident at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. A survivor of childhood cancer, she was hooded by David Korones, MD, her pediatric oncologist at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester.

“One of the most beautiful aspects of our journey together has been the friendships we’ve formed and the shared experiences that have strengthened our bond,” said Merriman. “From our first days of orientation to the challenges of clinical rotations, we’ve grown together, supporting each other every step of the way.”

“I know…that you have the minds, the hearts and the souls of change makers,” she said.

Three students in regalia lining up with their peersIn her address, Monica Bharel, MD’94, MPH, former chief medical officer at Boston Health Care for the Homeless, former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and currently the clinical lead for Public Sector Health at Google, urged students to consider global issues of health equity and socioeconomic impacts.

“Healthcare is a basic human right, not a privilege,” she said. “Our profession should focus on improving health beyond the healthcare system – in communities – and focus on prevention of disease with equal focus as treatment of disease,” said Bharel.

At the level of patient interactions, Bharel told students to turn away from their screens, look their patients in the eyes and allow them to tell their story.

“Choose kindness and selflessness. Listen to your patients with humility. Connect your scientific endeavors to our most pressing health issues,” she said.

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