{"id":130240,"date":"2025-02-04T14:58:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T19:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/?post_type=bu-article&p=130240"},"modified":"2025-04-18T12:37:55","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T16:37:55","slug":"md-phd-graduates-encouraged-to-become-leaders-solve-global-issues","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/medicine\/articles\/2025\/md-phd-graduates-encouraged-to-become-leaders-solve-global-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"MD, PhD Graduates Encouraged to Become Leaders, Solve Global Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMD, PhD Graduates Encouraged to Become Leaders, Solve Global Issues\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Focus should be on improving health beyond the healthcare system<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n
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Healthcare is a basic human right, not a privilege. Our profession should focus on improving health beyond the healthcare system, in communities, with equal focus on prevention of disease and treatment of disease.<\/p>Convocation speaker Monica Bharel, MD (CAMED\u201994), MPH. <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Medical Campus Provost and Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Dean Karen Antman, MD, addressed a celebratory crowd of students, faculty, and friends gathered at the BU Track & Tennis Center for the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine convocation ceremony on May 16. Noting that graduation is one of the most joyous events of academic life, she also reminded the Class of 2024 that their degrees also confer considerable public trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so much unrest around the world, natural disasters, and medical challenges on a global scale, \u201cWe hope that you will become leaders in solving these issues,\u201d said Antman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The school conferred 35 PhDs, 144 MDs, four MD\/PhDs, three MD\/MBAs, one MD\/ JD, and two MD\/OMFS (Oral Maxillofacial Surgery). Fifteen students earned cum laude honors and five, magna cum laude. Two students, Jonathan Berlowitz and Sarah Golden, graduated summa cum laude. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe faculty know that you will use the knowledge, the research, and the clinical skills that you have mastered here to make a difference in the world going forward,\u201d said C. James McKnight, PhD, associate provost and dean of Graduate Medical Sciences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PhD student speaker Josiane Fofana shared the special moment with her 3-year-old child.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHumility reminds me of how far I\u2019ve come and how much more there is to accomplish,\u201d said PhD student speaker Josiane Fofana, who grew up in Senegal. After moving to Boston in 2011, Fofana completed an associate degree in biological sciences at Bunker Hill Community College, a BS in biochemistry at Brandeis University, and a PhD in virology, microbiology & immunology at BU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fofana urged students to look beyond their degrees. \u201cIn the pursuit of knowledge, we often overlook the importance of emotional intelligence. Brilliance devoid of empathy just renders us empty, contributing to the injustice in this world,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mother of a toddler, Fofana founded a nonprofit that provides quality, 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo not think that the degree or leadership position you\u2019re holding grants you the ultimate wisdom on every issue,\u201d she said. \u201cRemain open to others\u2019 experiences and embrace discomfort in order to grow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MD student speaker Bridgette Merriman grew up in Rochester, New York, graduated from Boston College, and will complete a pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children\u2019s Hospital. A childhood cancer survivor, she was hooded by David Korones, MD, her pediatric oncologist at Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital in Rochester. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the most beautiful aspects of our journey together has been the friendships we\u2019ve formed and the shared experiences that have strengthened our bond,\u201d Merriman said. \u201cFrom our first days of orientation to the challenges of clinical rotations, we\u2019ve grown together, supporting each other every step of the way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know that you have the minds, the hearts, and the souls of change-makers,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Convocation
Convocation speaker Monica Bharel, MD (CAMED\u201994), MPH, the clinical lead for public sector health at Google, told students, \u201cHealthcare is a basic human right, not a privilege.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Monica Bharel, MD (CAMED\u201994), MPH, formerly chief medical officer at Boston Health Care for the Homeless and commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and currently the clinical lead for public sector health at Google, encouraged students to consider global issues of health equity and socioeconomic impacts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHealthcare is a basic human right, not a privilege. Our profession should focus on improving health beyond the healthcare system, in communities, with equal focus on prevention of disease and treatment of disease,\u201d Bharel said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During patient interactions, Bharel advised students to turn away from their screens, look their patients in the eyes, and allow them to tell their story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChoose kindness and selflessness. Listen to your patients with humility. Connect your scientific endeavors to our most pressing health issues,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MD, PhD Graduates Encouraged to Become Leaders, Solve Global Issues while focusing on improving health beyond the healthcare system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12906,"featured_media":130241,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Campus News","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[392,383,393],"bu-publication":[366],"medicine-article-category":[369],"medicine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[381],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/130240"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12906"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130240"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/130240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133349,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/130240\/revisions\/133349"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130240"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=130240"},{"taxonomy":"medicine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/medicine-article-category?post=130240"},{"taxonomy":"medicine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/medicine-topic?post=130240"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=130240"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=130240"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=130240"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=130240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}