{"id":103980,"date":"2025-05-16T12:51:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T16:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/?p=103980"},"modified":"2025-05-16T12:55:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T16:55:10","slug":"congratulations-to-the-graduate-medical-sciences-class-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/2025\/05\/16\/congratulations-to-the-graduate-medical-sciences-class-of-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Congratulations to the Graduate Medical Sciences Class of 2025!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 300 Graduate Medical Sciences students crossed the stage at the 2025 Master\u2019s and MD &amp; PhD convocation ceremonies, held Thursday, May 15 at the Boston University Track &amp; Tennis Center.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Master\u2019s Ceremony started at 10 a.m., followed by the MD &amp; PhD Ceremony at 3 p.m. Graduates from August 2024 and January 2025, as well as degree candidates from May 2025 and August 2025, participated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of May 2025, GMS has conferred the following degrees:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">42 PhD<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 MD\/PhD<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">35 MA<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">322 MS<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2 MS\/MPH<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2 MS\/MS<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 MA\/MS<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GMS will soon confer degrees to August 2025 degree candidates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_104053\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104053\" style=\"width: 646px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/498465447_1115267310637608_8573839089336518805_n-636x424.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"636\" height=\"424\" class=\"wp-image-104053 size-medium\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/498465447_1115267310637608_8573839089336518805_n-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/498465447_1115267310637608_8573839089336518805_n-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/498465447_1115267310637608_8573839089336518805_n-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/498465447_1115267310637608_8573839089336518805_n-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/498465447_1115267310637608_8573839089336518805_n.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-104053\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">GMS graduates line up for the Master&#8217;s convocation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Four students spoke at this year\u2019s ceremonies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joshua Kidwell, Cynthia Ordo\u00f1ez Salguero and Yousuf Al Naseri spoke at the Master\u2019s Ceremony, and Jhonatan Henao Vasquez spoke at the MD &amp; PhD Ceremony. The four speakers were nominated by their programs and selected by a committee of GMS representatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kidwell represented the Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) program. He matriculated into GMS in 2023 and will soon pursue his medical degree at Creighton University School of Medicine. This summer, he plans to finish out his work at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and take a road trip to see family and friends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ordo\u00f1ez Salguero spoke on behalf of the Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling &amp; Behavioral Medicine (MHCBM) Program. During her time in GMS, she completed an internship in the Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic at Boston Medical Center.\u00a0 She is also a talented artist whose work was displayed in the GMS Suite for one month. Ordo\u00f1ez Salguero plans to spend the summer relaxing, painting, and spending time with loved ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Al Naseri is a degree candidate in the Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences (OHS) program. In his time at GMS, Al Naseri also volunteered as a mentor for first-generation students through the Community Catalyst Center. He will matriculate into the BU Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine in July, where he will pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a dentist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Henao Vasquez is a PhD graduate of the Graduate Program in Molecular and Translational Medicine. He matriculated into GMS in 2019 through the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS) and completed his dissertation research at the BU Pulmonary Center under Associate Professor of Medicine Matthew Jones, PhD, and Professor of Medicine Alan Fine, MD. Following Commencement, he plans to return to the biotech industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/2025\/04\/23\/introducing-our-2025-gms-commencement-speakers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read more about our Commencement speakers here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_104064\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104064\" style=\"width: 579px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/MD-PhD-Convocation-2025-PhD-speaker-Jhonatan-Henao-Vasquez-e1747407138154-636x443.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"569\" height=\"396\" class=\"wp-image-104064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/MD-PhD-Convocation-2025-PhD-speaker-Jhonatan-Henao-Vasquez-e1747407138154-636x443.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/MD-PhD-Convocation-2025-PhD-speaker-Jhonatan-Henao-Vasquez-e1747407138154-1024x713.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/MD-PhD-Convocation-2025-PhD-speaker-Jhonatan-Henao-Vasquez-e1747407138154-768x535.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/MD-PhD-Convocation-2025-PhD-speaker-Jhonatan-Henao-Vasquez-e1747407138154-1536x1069.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/files\/2025\/05\/MD-PhD-Convocation-2025-PhD-speaker-Jhonatan-Henao-Vasquez-e1747407138154-2048x1426.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-104064\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">PhD speaker Jhonatan Henao Vasquez addresses the MD &amp; PhD convocation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ceremonies included speeches from BU Medical Campus Provost and Chobanian &amp; Avedisian School of Medicine Dean Karen Antman, MD, and Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Medical Sciences C. James McKnight, PhD. Pulitzer Prize winning health, science and medicine investigative journalist Sheri Fink, MD, PhD, delivered the keynote address at the afternoon MD &amp; PhD ceremony.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read more about the Master\u2019s Convocation Ceremony <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/2025\/05\/15\/graduate-medical-sciences-students-celebrated-at-may-15-convocation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a> and the MD &amp; PhD Convocation Ceremony <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/2025\/05\/16\/md-phd-convocation-celebrates-the-achievements-of-the-class-of-25\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recordings of both ceremonies are available under the \u201cLivestreams\u201d section of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/students\/2025-commencement\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GMS Convocation Weekend website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Facebook albums of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/media\/set\/?set=a.1115271230637216&amp;type=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Master\u2019s Ceremony<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/media\/set\/?set=a.1115878637243142&amp;type=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MD &amp; PhD Ceremony<\/a> are now available for viewing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Congratulations to our graduates!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 300 Graduate Medical Sciences students crossed the stage at the 2025 Master\u2019s and MD &amp; PhD convocation ceremonies, held Thursday, May 15 at the Boston University Track &amp; Tennis Center.\u00a0 The Master\u2019s Ceremony started at 10 a.m., followed by the MD &amp; PhD Ceremony at 3 p.m. Graduates from August 2024 and January 2025, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20706,"featured_media":104053,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,795,54],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103980"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20706"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103980"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104087,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103980\/revisions\/104087"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}