(instrumental music) - My name is Dr. Susie Rose and as the Senior Vice
Dean for Medical Education, it is my proud honor to
open these proceedings and pronounced that the
commencement exercises of the Raymond and Ruth
Perelman School of Medicine, at the university of Pennsylvania, recognizing and honoring the
graduates of the class of 2021, will now begin. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all virtually,
including our trustees, Dean and Executive Vice
President for the health system, Dr. Larry Jameson, members
of our 50th reunion class, the class of 1971. Our commencement speaker, Dr. Rajiv Shah, the class of 1971 speaker,
Dr. Gail Morrison, our class of 2021 students
speaker, Dr. Michelle Munyikwa., the entire class of 2021 virtual guests, faculty, parents, children, relatives, significant others and friends. We celebrate with great enthusiasm as you, the class of 2021 have reached
this wonderful milestone. Even as this virtual
celebration is not the one you were hoping for. You have worked so hard to get here with many joys and successes and some more challenging times. Supported by your own resilience, and that has been tested no
greater than in the past year. But also supported by the
power of those who love you. What a year you have had. Meeting the pandemic head-on, many of you reentered the clinical arena at the height of concerns. You took care of patients, our community, many of you working to
advance knowledge and science to bring us to the other side. We are in awe of your
strength and your resilience. This is a commencement, a beginning, in what is still a difficult
time, but one with much hope. We truly hope and expect that this will transform into a transition to a magical journey for you, over many years to come. This is a powerful point of transition, and it is right to pause and
celebrate your achievements and reflect on your successes
and your accomplishments. We are exceptionally proud
of each and every one of you. And applaud your ideals,
commitment and talents. So please, enjoy this moment. Cherish your sense of pride in yourself, your family, your school, many of you are staying at
Penn, but others are leaving. We hope you will always
look upon our school as your launching pad. And as a source of professional
development, knowledge and support. On a very personal note, many of you in this class
were first year students. Others in more advanced years of research when I arrived at Penn. And you welcomed me so warmly and were there to show me the ropes. Your support has meant the world to me. And as a group and as individuals, I will always remember your
special welcome and touch. On behalf of the faculty, I extend hearty congratulations
to you, our graduates, and to those who love and support you. I now introduce our Executive
Vice President and Dean, Larry Jameson. - Thank you, Dr. Rose,
for your introduction and for your leadership. Welcome everyone. However much the pandemic has transformed our personal and academic lives, the significance of this
ceremony is unchanged. Graduates, congratulations. This is your day. We're here to celebrate you. The class of 2021. Commencement is a beginning
and a time of joy. There are many people to recognize for bringing you to this
point in your career. Let's begin with our faculty, the professors, the
clinicians, the scientists, who have been role models and mentors, sharing their wealth of
knowledge and experience and demonstrating their values of humanism and professionalism. It also includes the trustees
of Penn and Penn Medicine as well as our alumni and
philanthropic supporters. We will honor several
longstanding supporters later in the ceremony and at Walter Gamble and the Perelman family. Your families, spouses,
partners and friends have made many sacrifices
to get you to this point. I know you're deeply
grateful for their support. So please turn to those
who are with you now and acknowledge their support, along with those who could not
be with you physically today. To reach this milestone, you've
worked extraordinarily hard, met every challenge we set before you and impressed us with
your accomplishments. We're proud of each of you. This is a moment of great
change and transition. Even in ordinary times, it is bittersweet. Many of you will be moving to a new city. As you begin internships
in the next month, the learning curve will be steep but also incredibly
exciting and invigorating as you hone skills and begin
your careers as doctors. Penn has prepared you well
for this new responsibility. You have proven your ability
to acquire the knowledge and master the skills to serve
as outstanding physicians. While the pandemic has
presented many challenges, it has also afforded you
an opportunity to reflect on what matters to you most, what kind of doctor you want to be, and the type of impact you will have. You have chosen the medical profession because it is a calling to
serve as well as a profession. I am immensely proud of
the way you have responded over the past year. Both to the COVID crisis and to our nation's historic
reckoning with racism. In response to the pandemic, you have shopped for groceries
for home bound patients, staffed our telemedicine hotlines, worked in the eICU assisted in community vaccination
clinics and done so much more. When the murder of George Floyd, last May, sparked a nationwide movement
to address systemic racism, you were at the forefront of
efforts to foster inclusion, improve teaching and end microaggressions
in our academic community and to remedy the health inequities in the communities we serve. You have risen to these challenges with resourcefulness,
resilience and compassion. As a result of these experiences,
you will be better doctors and better prepared to
meet the next crisis. As you enter medical practice, the tools available for
discovery, diagnosis and treatment have never been more powerful. The use of imaging,
minimally invasive surgery, new medicines, informatics
and artificial intelligence will allow you to make diagnoses earlier, and treat diseases with
ever-increasing precision and better outcomes. Those advances make many
aspects of our health system the best in the world, though we are painfully
aware of the fragility of our public health system
and the devastating impact of the social determinants of health. You are well poised to help
address these shortcomings. A better path lies before us. One that places more emphasis
on prevention, access and equity. That has a more robust and innovative public health infrastructure. That expands telemedicine
and uses technology to engage patients more
actively in their care. That applies cutting edge
sequencing technology, and informatics to speed the development of new therapies and vaccines. As you join the healthcare
workforce, we are confident that you will help build
this brighter future. The training you have received at the Perelman School of Medicine, combined with the
appreciation of inclusion and civic engagement you
have demonstrated so well will accelerate your impact. Our medical school was the
first in the United States. It was founded in 1765. So we're accustomed to
taking the long view. Soon, you will be hearing
from a class member from 1971, marking his 50th reunion
year with an address by our own Dr. Gail Morrison. She's been an incredible mentor to generations of medical students at the Perelman School of Medicine. Including today's graduation speaker. Ordinarily Dr. Morrison would be joined by many other members of her class. While they could not be with us today, today's graduates could
not find better role models than our 50-year alumni. They've never stopped learning
and over decades have adapted to enormous changes in our profession. You will have to do the same over the course of your
careers, perhaps even more so, as the creation of new
biomedical knowledge and the accompany pace of
change, continue to accelerate. I know you're eager to begin
this next exciting phase of your careers. The Perelman School of Medicine has prepared you extraordinarily well to lead throughout your medical careers. We're very proud of you and
look forward to your impact. It is now my privilege, to introduce today's graduation speaker, an international leader
in global development with a deep commitment
to eradicating poverty and improving health around the world. Rajiv Shah is currently President of the Rockefeller Foundation. Two decades ago, he was in your place graduating from the
Perelman School of Medicine with an additional master's degree in health economics from Wharton. Dr. Shah's passion for
global development runs deep. His family immigrated from India. Prior to medical school, he worked on a TB and health project in rural South India and he returned there
as a medical student. Since then, Dr. Shah has
become a distinguished leader in the public and private health sectors. With unsurpassed track records of improving health throughout the world. In 2009, he was appointed administrator of the United States Agency
for International Development, better known as USAID by President Obama. Dr. Shah is widely respected for securing bipartisan support that included passage
of two significant laws. The Global Food Security Act
and the Electrify Africa Act. He also led the United States response to the Haiti earthquake. And the West African Ebola pandemic. And served on the
national security council and elevated the role of
health and economic development as part of our nation's foreign policy. Prior to his appointment at USAID, Dr. Shah served as Chief Scientist and Undersecretary for Research,
Education and Economics at the United States
Department of Agriculture. Where he created the
national Institute for Food and Agriculture. In 2015, he was one of six global leaders appointed by the United nations to review the world's capacity
to prepare and respond to global pandemic threats. Earlier in his career, Dr. Shah served in a
range of leadership roles at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. There he created the
International Financing Facility for Immunization, which helped reshape the
global vaccine industry and saved millions of lives. By any measure, this
is a remarkable record of accomplishment and impact. And it is my distinct honor, to welcome Dr. Rajiv Shah to our ceremony. - Hello everyone. Thank you, Dean Jameson
for your leadership. Especially over the last year
and that kind introduction. I also wanna recognize
so many professors here from my time at Penn. Especially my mentors, Dr. Sandy Schwartz and Dr. Sankey Williams. Congratulations to the
graduates and the class of 2021. You made it! As all of you know well, you're about to become medical leaders during what remains a deadly and devastating global pandemic. The challenge is not
new for Penn med alumns. This is America's first medical school. And over the last 250 years, its graduates have fought yellow fever, treated patients for cholera
and typhoid, hookworm and polio and done research on H1N1,
HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. After these last few years,
each of you is ready to continue in that proud tradition. And from the number of spouses, family and friends logged on to this ceremony, it's clear you'll have the
love and support to do so. Now it's a little funny that at a time when critical care clinicians
and research scientists are regularly trending on Twitter, that Penn chose someone to give
this address who's neither. Still we're colleagues in a different way. Like you, I took the physician's pledge at my white coat ceremony. And dedicated my life to
the service of humanity. In my case, to meet that pledge, I've had to learn to embrace change. So I'd like to talk to you today
about two stories of change from my life. One started with a long car ride and the other on a short jog. And what I learned along the way. The first story is about how
unsettling change can be. The day after I took my board exams, I woke up early for a
14-hour drive from Philly to Nashville, Tennessee
to join Al Gore's campaign for president. Actually, I think my fiance, Shivam did most of the
driving as I slept off the previous night's celebration. Either way, joining a
presidential campaign is not what you're supposed to do the day after you take the boards. So let me explain. When I was at school here,
I loved seeing patients during clinical rounds and
my then classmates friendship and sheer intelligence. And I really enjoyed the cadaver lab. But I also struggled with the question of whether I wanted to
serve individual patients or work to change national policy. As a child of immigrants from India, I fell in love with politics watching the 1988 conventions
on TV in our living room. At Penn Med, I learned
about America's deep social and health inequities, by participating in programs
like students teaching AIDS to students in West Philadelphia. And at Wharton, I learned
about the role of incentives, economics and policy, in trying
to achieve health for all. But I had no idea how to
create major social change. So I rather naively just applied for a job on the Gore campaign. I got rejected a few
times but kept applying until they finally said I could
join as a volunteer intern. As you can imagine leaving
school after more than four years in the MD-PhD program, was a
giant change in my career plan. Thanks to mentors here at Penn, I was able to take a leave from school, my scholarship and all the
expectations I'd grown up with. And I arrived in Nashville,
brimming with enthusiasm and ready to change our nation on day one. It didn't quite work out that way. Rather than working on
major public policy ideas, I was chauffeuring
campaign staff around town and making copies of
old newspaper articles at the Nashville Public Library. After a few months of
(indistinct) work, I was panicked. I had left medicine and I was not exactly changing the world. I felt like an outsider. I was ready to throw in the
towel and return to school. On one dark rainy night, I called Shivam and told her I'd made a big mistake and wanted to return to Penn
where I felt comfortable and valued. She talked me out of leaving, and over the next few
months, I kept at it. I eventually got a proper
job on the campaign and for a few hours late in
the evening on election night, I even thought I was
headed to The White House to work for a president. Of course, it didn't work out that way. By January I was back
in West Philadelphia. But my worldview had changed. And so had my life plan. I was better able to understand
that as unsettling and risky as change can feel, I
needed that experience to pursue my real calling. Instead of doing a residency, I was asked by someone
I met on the campaign to join a new foundation created
by Bill and Melinda Gates. There, I got to be part of the team that set an audacious goal. That every child, everywhere
should be fully vaccinated. To do so we built new partnerships across industry, governments and NGOs and we invented new ways to
finance and procure vaccines. These efforts saved millions of lives and created a template for the
development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines today. A few years later, I joined
the Obama administration. As a newcomer to Washington,
that unsettling feeling of uncertainty, occasionally returned. When I was was overseeing
America's response to the earthquake in Haiti, negotiating aid arrangements alongside the military in Afghanistan, and searching for new solutions
to break transmission rates early in the Ebola pandemic. Each of these tasks
involved embracing change. Trying new ways to solve problems and asking others to embrace
risk and uncertainty. On reflection, I really
believe my most satisfying and successful professional experiences have all been grounded
in setting big goals, taking risks and above
of all, embracing change. I hope you will have those
opportunities in your endeavors. The second story I wanna tell
you is about using your voice. A few months after I started
at the Rockefeller Foundation in March of 2017, I was in New Orleans where
I met mayor Mitch Landrieu. We talked about how New Orleans, like many cities around America, was not only plagued by
systemic racism and violence, but also stained by
monuments to the Confederacy. Mayor Landrieu asked that
the Rockefeller Foundation provided a grant to help take down four
Confederate monuments including a towering
statue of Robert E. Lee. I was less than 10 weeks into my job at one of the most storied
foundations in America. And I was excited at the
opportunity to make a mark on such an important issue. But when I started making calls that night to discuss removing the statues, all I heard was how
doing so was complicated. It was complicated because, as one philanthropic leader argued, many of those with the
deepest pockets in New Orleans like the statues just fine and might not support
our future partnerships. It was complicated because
of some on our team worried white supremacists might take aim at Rockefeller Foundation offices and we didn't have the
security to protect our staff. And it was complicated because
the foundation hadn't worked on racial justice issues in recent years and we were worried about looking naive on such a complex public issue. Making a statement is often complicated. for a time growing up, my family lived in rural Pennsylvania. I was the one Brown kid
on a big yellow school bus filled with white children. On most days I got on that bus sat in the back and felt
like I didn't belong. I stayed quiet. You see if I didn't attract attention, I would be like it's
likely to be called names, made fun of or worse. I hated that feeling. Anyone who knows me know staying quiet comes at great difficulty. So when I woke up in New
Orleans the next morning, I went for a short jog
to see the statue of Lee which had stood cross armed
and defiance since 1884. As I stood there in the shadows of both the Confederacy
and my own experience, I decided that I wanted to do what I could to ensure children in New Orleans no longer had to walk to school under the watchful eye
of a Confederate general. I wanted to use the new
found authority in my role to make a statement. So Rockefeller made the grant and one month later to the day the statues came down. From that day forward, our country engaged in a debate
about monuments and statues, and other communities
followed New Orleans lead. Unfortunately not long after,
a counter reaction began as white nationalists rallied with torches in Charlottesville, Virginia to save another Lee statue. And later the proud boys marched across the country
including in Philadelphia, clearly helping to take down
a few offensive monuments did not end racism in America but it was the right thing to do. After today's ceremony, other people will address
each of you as doctor for the rest of your lives. Congratulations, you've earned it. In this country and around the world, that title immediately
confers respect and authority. It is the authority that comes with knowing how
to heal a suffering patient at their greatest moment of need. But it's also a signal
that you're a leader, in your community, in your institutions, in our country and in our world. Your voice matters. I hope you will use it
to do the right thing. When I look back on that
long drive to Nashville and that short jog in New Orleans, I'm reminded of how much we
all must change ourselves in order to realize the change
we want to see in the world. I hope you keep taking risks, keep learning, keep
growing and keep changing. As you do, there will be moments of panic, moments when you'll wonder what
you've gotten yourself into. My advice to you, is to
go find those moments, when you're at the edge of who you are, and what you can do for your patients, your community and our common humanity. And when you get there, keep
going, embrace that change because I found we all need
to re-imagine who we are and what we want this world to be, perhaps now more than ever. Thank you and congratulations. - Good morning. I'm Horace Delisser, Associate Dean for
Diversity and Inclusion. I'd first like to thank Dr.
Shaw for those inspiring words. That was an exceptional
and fantastic message. Each year, we honor outstanding teaching here at the Perelman School of Medicine. I'm honored to present the very deserving award winning faculty to you, now. The Leonard Berwick
Memorial Teaching Award for fusing basic science and
clinical medical teaching. Jonathan Dunham MD. Blockley-Osler Award. Ashock Linganna, MD, MSED. Dean's Award for excellence
in basic science training. Rebecca Aherns-Niklas, MD, PhD and Daniel Wolf, MD, PhD. Deans Award for excellence in clinical teaching at
an affiliated hospital. Adelaide Barnes, MD. Yu-Heng Guo, MD. D. Rani Nandiwanda, MD. Zheya Yu, MD, PhD. Dean's Award for excellence in clinical teaching by house staff. Leigh Ann Humphries, MD. Dean's Award for excellence
in medical student teaching by an allied health professional. Lily Feldman, NP, PA-C. Dripps Award for excellence
in graduate medical education. Todd Barton, MD. Christian R and Mary F. Lindback, Distinguished Teaching Awards. Angela Ellison MD, Msc. Scott Mackler Award for excellence in substance abuse teaching. Jeanmarie Perone, MD. The Medical Student
Government Teaching Awards. Nadia Bennet, MD, for clinical teaching and Frank Sylvestry, MD
for basic science teaching. The Provost Award. Keith Hamilton, MD. The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the Arnold
P. gold Foundation. Paris Butler, MD, MPH. And the special Dean's Award. Kathleen Murphy, MD. And Neil fishermen, MD. Congratulations to these
outstanding faculty members. - Thank you, Dr. Delisser. My name is Dennis Dlugos
and I am the Associate Dean for UME Science and Discovery Curriculum. It is my honor to introduce
the 50th year speaker. The medical class of
1971 reunion committee, unanimously agreed to invite
classmate Dr. Gail Morrison to offer greetings here today. This is a very special treat
for the entire audience, but most especially for the class of 2021, as Dr. Morrison served in the role of Senior Vice Dean for Medical education. when this class arrived at Penn. Dr. Morrison is a highly
respected nephrologist and is professor of medicine
in the department of medicine. Dr. Morrison has been
a pioneer in medicine since her graduation from
our medical school in 1971. Serving as the first woman chair of our admissions committee, the first woman associate chair in the department of medicine, and the first woman to serve as Vice Dean over Academic Programs. Dr. Morrison currently serves
as the executive director of the innovation center
for online medical education and is the William Mol Messy president's distinguished
professor in medical education. Dr. Morrison is a dedicated member of her medical school class, and we welcome Dr. Morrison
to greet you this morning. Thank you so much for being
with us today, Dr. Morrison. - Perelman School of Medicine,
2021 graduating class, trustees, Dean Jameson, faculty and family and
friends of the graduates. I and all of my classmates
in the class of 1971 the 50th reunion class extend our sincere
congratulations to each of you in the 2021 graduating class. Having been in your shoes 50 years ago, the class of 1971 is proud
of what you have accomplished and is excited for you as you
move beyond medical school and enter training for medical
careers in the 21st century. A famous baseball player once said, quote, "It is tough to make predictions especially about the future." How true it is as I
reflect over the 50 years since I graduated medical school. Most of our class entered medical
school right after college primarily as science majors. I was one of only 12 women
in a class of 126 students. We graduated after four
years and had a small number of MD, PhDs and no joint master
degree certificate programs or significant global experiences were offered or available
during medical school. In medical school, we
were taught primarily with in-person lectures from professors otherwise known as the sage on the stage, taking notes as fast as we could, learning from textbooks
which we all bought. One so heavy we could
not carry them to school and memorizing lots of information, never sure what was important or when we would need to
recall specific facts. Our lectures and labs
took place in the basement of the John Morgan
building on Hamilton walk. We could not have predicted
your experience 50 years later which was quite different from ours. Your class was not only
more diverse than ours, but had 48% women, 60% or more of you were
non-traditional students having taken time off before
entering medical school, teaching and learning, utilize technology, which made lectures and textbooks virtual and available on your iphones, iPads and laptop computers 24/7
during medical school. And 2/3 of your class participated in joint programs leading
to an MD plus degree, MD, PhDs, master's degrees, certificates and or global health experiences. Your educational space was now the Jordan
Medical Education Center. An innovative learning
and teaching environment with state-of-the-art technology for collaborative,
team-based active learning. Comparing your experience
in medical school with ours clearly shows that medical education
has been changed forever and most likely will continue to change. Our experience in the
healthcare environment since we graduated, portends, transformative
and revolutionary change that I believe will now
impact your experience in health care. What will healthcare change mean for you, the class of 2021? No surprise, with medical information
expanding exponentially and available almost immediately
because of technology, the skill needed to succeed in medicine is being a self-directed learner. In 2010 medical knowledge
doubled every 3 and 1/2 years. And in 2020 medical knowledge
doubled every 73 days. That was last year. Therefore, almost all that we learned and much of what you learned
recently in medical school, maybe obsolete shortly. You are prepared for accessing
expanding medical knowledge because of the school of medicines learning for life curriculum, which emphasized active
and self-directed learning utilizing technology. Such continued lifelong learning will be necessary to stay up to date on whatever new knowledge is generated. Learning experiences for medical students, trainees and faculty will continue to move away from real time in-person
experiences with patients and be replaced with virtual experiences, simulations, augmented
reality and telemedicine. The concept from my class of quote, "see one, do one ,teach one." Unquote, is no longer viable. Your class will need to be involved in continuous practice and
training throughout your careers to learn new techniques and procedures. To help you keep up and be
at the top of your game. Virtual training experiences will play an important
role in your future. Add to all of these changes the delivery of healthcare
is changing so rapidly that it is impossible
to know how medical care will be delivered in 10
years, nevermind 50 years. We learned and practiced
primarily acute care medicine in the hospital setting. But already for you healthcare
has moved beyond the hospital to outpatient facilities, surgery centers and even into patient's homes. Wearable devices that can
transmit patient information directly to a doctor's office, blood pressure heart rate EKGs
are becoming a commonplace. The importance and recognition of social determinants of disease and environmental factors
in causing disease will result in new early
treatment modalities. More importantly, patients
will be taken care of by teams of healthcare providers instead of just a single physician, which will change forever, the
doctor-patient relationship. Most of us trained to become clinicians in either private practice
or academic medicine, but with the changes
occurring in the healthcare during the last 20 years, many of us took on different roles and became part of the change process. My first appointment at Penn medicine was as a nephrologist involved in patient care
teaching and clinical research. With my strong interest in
medical education and teaching I was selected in 1995 to be the inaugural
vice Dean for Education for the Perelman School of Medicine. In that role, I oversaw the
design and implementation of the present educational model, learning for life, initially
called curriculum 2000, virtual curriculum 2000 and the design of the Jordan
Medical Education Center. I could not have predicted
that career path for me when I graduated medical school, since that path did not even exist, but I cannot imagine having had a more exciting and creative career. I encourage all of you
to be on the lookout for changing medical career opportunities that will excite you, allow you to use your creative talents and let you all make an impact in and on the world of medicine. Last but not least maintaining your mental and physical health
is crucial to your success. Doctors in general tend
to take care of everyone except themselves. They take care of patients,
family, friends, staff and all others. We never learned about
wellness for ourselves or the importance of work-life balance. I don't remember ever
having a lecture on sleep, probably irrelevant since it's insurance we were on every other night. But you all know better. You know, you need to
take care of yourself and it is important that each of you determine how you can best achieve that in a world of healthcare
that is constantly changing. So it was Yogi Berra,
not a physician you said, it is tough to make predictions
especially about the future. I don't know in 2071 who will
be your 50th year speaker, nor what specific changes will be in place for medical education and healthcare, but there will be transformative and revolutionary changes to both. Your class is unique and
what you have experienced the last year of medical school because of the COVID 19 pandemic, that all of you have adapted
to disruptive changes in the delivery of healthcare
while in medical school and still accomplished and
completed all that you did is remarkable. And as a statement to you being prepared for the continued change to the medical world, you will enter. I do know today May 16th, 2021, is a time not to now to
think about the future, but to celebrate today and all of your
accomplishments and successes. My congratulations to all of you and a special thank you to your family, significant others and friends who have supported you along the way. I end with a message from my classmates in the class of 71 to you, the Perelman School of Medicine,
graduating class of 2021. (upbeat music) - Thank you so much for
your words, Dr. Morrison, it's truly an honor to
have you join us today and congratulations to you and to the entire 50th year reunion class. Benjamin Franklin, the founding father of the
University of Pennsylvania is known for many famous quotes. He has said, "Without
continual growth and progress such words as improvement,
achievement and success have no meaning." Today, we take note of this moment in time as your growth continues and you progress to recognize and celebrate
your achievement and success. This is the moment you
have been waiting for. We can affirm that each
of you, graduates of 2021, have completed all of the
necessary requirements to receive your doctor of medicine degree from the Raymond and Ruth
Pearlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. So it is now our great pleasure to call each of you by name, to recognize your
outstanding accomplishments. Dr. DaCarlo Albright Associate Dean for Student
Affairs and Wellness, will recognize each graduate. As your name is called, we will pause for a
moment to celebrate you, view your picture and
your plans for the future with our very best wishes
of congratulations. - And now we celebrate the achievements of each member of the class of 2021. You will notice in your programs that those honored with
numerous accolades, awards and prizes, along with those elected
to the honor societies, Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism. We also have students who are in our combined MD, PhD program, who have already received their PhD degree and other students graduating with additional certificates or degrees. Every individual of the class
of 2021 is uniquely honored as I now begin to call
the roster of names. Dr. Hatem Abdallah. Dr. Modupe Adetunji. Dr. Divyansh Agarwal. Dr. Agarwal is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in genomics
and computational biology. Dr. Opeyemi Alabi. Dr. Alabi is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program earning his PhD in neuroscience. Dr. Ahmed Aly. Dr. Aly is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program earning his PhD in bioengineering. - Dr. Phillip Karavitis Angelides. Dr. Andrew Azzam. Dr. Mina Bakhtiar. Dr. Christina Bax. Dr. Jacob Beer. Dr. Samuel Jason Belfer. Dr. Belfer is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in neuroscience. Dr. Dana Bellissimo. Dr. Bellissimo is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Sourik Beltran. Dr. Alexandra Barr Berman. Dr. Nuvid Bhuyan. Dr. Bradford Bormann. Dr. Joshua Bram. Dr. Logan Brock. Dr. Joia Hordat Brosco. Dr. Laura Ashley Burkebauer. Dr. Yasmeen Byrnes. Dr. Elizabeth Card. Dr. Alexis Chaet. Dr. Lillian Chang. Dr. Andrew Chang. Dr. Bofeng Chen. Dr. Lailani Chirino. Dr.Chirino is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Alyssa Civantos. Dr. Cody Cotoner. Dr. Claire Cuntri-French. Dr. Jared Daar. Dr. Neabil Darwich. Dr. Darwich is a graduate
of the MD PhD program, earning his PhD in neuroscience. Dr. Amy Davis. Dr. Davis is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Taylor L. Delara. Dr. Samir Devalaraja. Doctor Devalaraja is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in immunology. Dr. Leila Chakravarti Dilley. Dr. Dilley is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Robert Dilley. Dr. Dilley is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Jessica Dubin. Dr. Matthew Duda. Dr. Joe Durgin. Dr. Elizabeth Duthinhn. Dr. Samantha Ellison. Dr. Melody esmaeli. Dr. Esmaeli is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Daniel Raymond Ezzo. Dr. Phillip Feibusch. Dr. Nathaniel Fessehaie. Dr. Natania Stephanie Field. Dr. Field is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Kim Firn. Dr. Kevin Francois. Dr. Sarah Frankl. Dr. Joshua Franklin. Dr. Franklin is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in anthropology. Dr. J. Garcia Cruz Fernandes. Dr. Beatrice Go. Dr. Jake Goldenring. Dr. Kristin Goodsell. Dr. Ben Gu. Dr. Sebastian Gualy. Dr. Alberto Guerra. Dr. Sandy Ha. Dr. Catherine Hawrot. Dr. Maria. Paula Hazbon. Dr. Andrew Robert Helber. Dr. Laura Miyares. Dr. Joshua Ian Ho. Dr. Daniel Hoffman. Dr. Alexis Nicole Holmes. Dr. Kevin Izevbekhai. Dr. Ulysses Quincy Ace Contrarea Isidro. Dr. Jun Woo Jeon. Dr. Joanna Jiang. Dr. Benjamin Cassin Johnson. Dr. Amanda Elizabeth Jones. Dr. Jeremy Michael Jones. Dr. Isabella Joslin. Dr. Steve Kang. Dr. Mounika Kanneganti. Dr. Casey Kim. Dr. Piotr Kopinski. Dr. Kopinski is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Matthew Kubicki. Dr. Gregory Kurtzman. Dr. Jackson Gordon Kwok. Dr. Carrie Li. Dr. Shiyi Li. Dr. Brenna Lilley. Dr. Taylor Judith Linaburg. Dr. Raymond Liu. Dr. Lianna Llewellyn. Dr. Robert Lou. Dr. Neil Lu'u. Dr. Govind Sruhari Mattay. Dr. Jaclyn Mauch. Dr. Michael Mayer. Dr. Elizabeth Berryhill McCarty. Dr. Sarah McCuaig. Dr. Ian Mellis. Dr. Mellis is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in genomics
and computational biology. Dr. Daniel Mercaer. Dr. Rob Mitrani. Dr. Carrie Zimmerman Morales. Dr. Hillary Mulvey. Dr. Michelle Munyikwa. Dr. Muntikwa is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in anthropology. Dr. Andrew Murphy. Dr. Murphy is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in bio engineering. Dr. Hani Ihab Naga. Dr. Ryan. O'Keeffe. Dr. Mariam Olujide. Dr. Whitney Ugonne Orji. Dr. Sophia Parente. Dr. Joe Park. Dr. Amar Patel. Dr. Viren Patel. Dr. Ellen Pearlman. Dr. Sarah Perelman. Dr. Michael Perez. Dr. Benjamin Isaac Phillipson. Dr. Phillipson is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Kevin Pirrucio. Dr. Ellena Popova. Dr. Flo Porterfield. Dr. Catherine Raney. Dr. Daniel Resnick. Dr. Nicholas William Rizer. Dr. Gina Cotter Russell. Dr. Nahara Lucia Saballos. Dr. Nicholas Raymond Sachs. Dr. Elle Saine. Dr. Saine is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in epidemiology. Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Santicci. Dr. Hannah Schwennesen. Dr. Emily Scire. Dr. Megan Shannon. Dr. Jennifer Siegel. Dr. Anna-Claire Sienna. Dr. Ian Sigal. Dr. Mark Elliott Sikov. Dr. Ethan Solomon. Dr. Solomon is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in bioengineering. Dr. Angela Song. Dr. Alexandra Elena Sperry. Dr. Daniel Camargo Stokes. Dr. Philip Susser. Dr. Katherine Szigety. Dr. Szigety is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning her PhD in biochemistry
and molecular biophysics. Dr. Shant Tamzian. Dr. Erik Tan. Dr. Alana Ticali. Dr. Eduardo Torre. Dr. Torre is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in biochemistry
and molecular biophysics. Dr. Aminata Traore. Dr. Daniel Travis. Dr. Sarah Waldis. Dr. Hejia Henry Wang. Dr. Wang is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in biochemistry
and molecular biophysics. Dr. Michael Werner. Dr. Werner is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in immunology. Dr. Jennifer wineke. Dr. Anna Wing. Dr. Krzyztof Wojtak. Dr. Wojtak is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in cell
and molecular biology. Dr. Yanto Lin Xi. Dr. Cedric Huchua Xia. Dr. Xia is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in neuroscience. Dr. Sophia R. Yapalater. Dr. Andrea Carolina Yuguez. Dr. Joseph Lee Young. Dr. Young is a graduate
of the MD, PhD program, earning his PhD in anthropology. Dr. Jason C. Zhang. Dr. David Zheng. In your graduation program, please note those individuals who have received prizes and awards. It is customary to highlight
three of these awards during our graduation ceremony. The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation is awarded to our graduate who displays the highest standards of
humanism and professionalism. This year's recipient is Dr. Whitney Orji. The Nathan and Pauline Pincus
prize is awarded each year for outstanding
achievement as a clinician. Please join me in acknowledging
this year's recipient, Dr. Elizabeth Card. As your program notes, the
Dr. Spencer Morris Prize is awarded each year
to the medical student in the graduating class
who scores the highest on an oral examination
given to selected students based on academic and
clinical achievement. It is without question,
the highest academic honor a graduate from the Perelman
School of Medicine can receive. I am delighted this year to present the Dr. Spencer Morris Prize
to Dr. Laura Hernandez-Miyares. On behalf of the office
of student affairs, along with former
Associate Dean John Morris, and my colleagues, Dr,
(indistinct), Dr. Jennifer Kogan, Carrie Renner, and Joe Gallo, I would like to take this opportunity to personally congratulate each
member of the class of 2021 on this remarkable achievement. It has been a privilege and
a pleasure to work with you and we wish you continued success and all of life's greatest blessings. Congratulations on a job well done. Now, please welcome Dr. Jennifer Kogan, Associate Dean for Student Success and Professional Development who will introduce the student speaker. - Thank you, Dr. Albright, congratulations to the class of 2021. I'm so thrilled for each
and every one of you. And it's really been
wonderful and an honor to get to know you over
the past few years, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you
accomplish going forward. It is customary each year for a member of the graduating class to address the audience on
this momentous occasion. It is my pleasure to introduce
Dr. Michelle Munyikwa, a member of the class of 2021 who was selected for this honor. Dr. Munyikwa will be staying
at Penn to pursue residency in the combined medicine
pediatrics residency program. Dr. Munyikwa. - Good morning on behalf
of the class of 2021, I am proud to welcome you
to this wonderful occasion. First, I would like to
acknowledge the people at the Perelman School of Medicine who have shaped our
incredible medical education. From the trustees of the
university of Pennsylvania to Deans Jameson and Rose, and the dedicated members of the undergraduate medical
education leadership team and the program for
diversity and inclusion, not to mention the many
faculty residents and fellows who have supported us on our journeys. On behalf of my fellow MD, PhDs, I am eternally grateful to Dr. Skip Brass and Maggie
Krall for their support. All of your dedication has shaped us and so many other physicians into the leader as researchers,
advocates, and clinicians that we will become. Thank you. To the family and friends
here to support us today, welcome, more importantly, thank you. We would never have made
it through to this day that we have all been waiting for. Your patients through
the sleepless nights, endless study dates,
specialty choice woes, and match day anxieties got us through. Know that for every graduate
receiving their degree today you are the people who
deserve their own diplomas. Finally, to my class, I can't believe it, we're here. Opening my regalia I was
so overcome with emotion that I honestly couldn't even try it on. Finally, the tears came, tears of joy and relief. After so many years where here, I am so proud of you. I'm proud of us. We survived the 04:00
a.m. wake ups, the exams, the adventure of Zoom
residency interviews. We did it all. I don't know that any of us
will ever look at a space bar the same way again, but we made it. We have been through
so much this past year. Most of it unexpected. For me, that includes the
unexpected death of my father last Summer. Confronting death is
among the hardest things we deal with in medicine
and as human beings. The last year year has brought more loss upon our communities
than I thought possible and I know I'm not the only
one trying to make sense of what has happened. As students, as a country, as a world we have been through so much. That said just as we learned from the death of every patient, so to have I learned from
the death of my father, as painful as it was. My dad was my first teacher in medicine. He was a surgeon at a
small community hospital where he'd been working for 15 years. And when I think of what I
hope to embody in medicine, I think of him. I hope to share some
of that wisdom with you in the form of the lessons
that my father taught me about medicine. The first lesson is that,
while what we do is serious, it also has its joys if
we're open to seeing them. Medicine is full of moments of connection, intimacy, and even laughter. As one of my favorite residents
was fond of saying to me, humor is a mature defense. Sometimes all we can do is laugh. There was a time when
grateful for his services, one of my father's patients
dropped off two live chickens at our house as a token of appreciation. Needless to say our neighbors
were not thrilled with this but my father shrugged
it off with a laugh. When faced with the
absurd and unbelievable he always chuckled. Ever unflappable, there really wasn't much that
could get under his skin. And with that in mind,
on the numerous occasions where I literally followed
my resident to the bathroom or the mortifying moment, when I standing with a
newborn baby in one hand and an (indistinct) scope in the other suddenly realized I didn't know what to
do with either of them. I laughed. I learned from my father that life is too short
to take it too seriously. And I've learned from my patients that sometimes all we need is laughter to lighten the mood and the day. So when you spend half an hour fretting over your first
momentous order of Tylenol or laxatives, smile at yourself and remember that your
seniors always have your back. The second lesson is that, there's a reason that we, brand new to our short
white coats and medicine spent these last four years or
more for my MD, PhD friends, working together in teams. That's because at the end of the day medicine is a team sport. This is true now more than ever. COVID has taught us that each one of us from the environmental
services workers to the nurses the respiratory therapists, to the cafeteria staff is essential to the functioning
of our healthcare system. It doesn't work unless we're all here and it especially doesn't work
if we're not in it together. My dad's funeral was attended by everyone from the environmental services staff to the OR techs to the
CEO of the hospital. He befriended everyone, and he understood that
working in healthcare means working well with all
members of the care team. Medicine is already wildly different from when I first put on my
short white coat 10 years ago, but one thing is true, we will be more successful
working together than we will be divided. As an intern remember that
everyone is part of the team, and if we do it right, we do together. Never forget when you've
completely forgotten which line is which, that a long time nurse
is your best friend. And also it never hurts to
make friends with the people who know where the coffee is. Finally remember that we are
all part of something larger. And this year, while unprecedented has merely revealed lessons
that we should carry with us for the rest of our careers. For medical students,
this moment has shown us that the best laid plans are
always subject to change, yet amidst the turmoil of career paths have
ended and transformed, we should remember that the
core maxims of our profession, to aid our fellow human
and do no harm, remain. We may be living through
unsteady, uncertain times but remaining grounded in our principles helps us to focus on what matters. Penn medicine has taught us above all to be leaders in medicine. And so as we move on to this
next stage in our training, what do you want to hold dear? What matters to you
about being a physician? In these next few months,
the calm before the storm we have a unique opportunity
to solidify our values and pledge to commit to them. As the future of medicine, we can help shape our
field for years to come. We are an integral part
of rebuilding a world that is more equitable and just. This feels daunting, but
in moments of uncertainty I always returned to the Jewish proverb. "You are not obligated
to complete the work but neither are you free to abandon it." We all have a role. The challenge is finding it. Congratulations, everyone. We made it. - Thank you, Dr. Munyikwa. for your powerful words
and your inspiring message. It has been my special pleasure
to accompany your class on your journey as you
applied to residency. I know that our communities
are in good hands with you as the next cohort of training doctors. The class of 2021 experienced a year in medical
school, like no other. We wanted to take some time to reminisce and to honor and celebrate you and we present this montage
to you and your guests with our deepest pride in you and best wishes for a promising future. Thank you. (gentle music) ♪ Land of hope and glory ♪ ♪ Mother of the free ♪ ♪ How shall we extol thee ♪ ♪ Who are born of thee ♪ ♪ Wider still and wider ♪ ♪ Shall thy bounds be set ♪ ♪ God who made thee mighty ♪ ♪ Make thee mightier yet ♪ ♪ God who made thee mighty ♪ ♪ Make thee mightier yet ♪ (gentle music) ♪ Land of hope and glory ♪ ♪ Mother of the free ♪ ♪ How shall we extol thee ♪ ♪ Who are born of thee ♪ ♪ Of thee ♪ ♪ Wider still and wider ♪ ♪ Shall thy bounds be set ♪ ♪ God who made thee mighty ♪ ♪ Make thee mightier yet ♪ ♪ God who made thee mighty ♪ ♪ Make thee mightier yet ♪ (gentle music) ♪ Land of hope and glory ♪ ♪ Mother of the free ♪ ♪ How shall we extol thee ♪ ♪ Who are born of thee ♪ ♪ Wider still and wider ♪ ♪ Shall thy bounds be set ♪ ♪ God who made thee mighty ♪ ♪ Make thee mightier yet ♪ ♪ God who made thee mighty ♪ ♪ Make thee mightier yet ♪ (gentle music) ♪ Land of hope and glory ♪ ♪ Mother of the free ♪ ♪ How shall we extol thee ♪ ♪ Who are born of thee ♪ ♪ Of thee ♪ ♪ Wider still and wider ♪ ♪ Shall thy bounds be set ♪ ♪ God who made thee mighty ♪ ♪ Make thee mightier yet ♪ ♪ God who made thee mighty ♪ ♪ Make thee mightier yet ♪ - As an important part
of today's celebration, let's take a moment to honor two major Perelman School of Medicine anniversaries and the people who made them possible and Walter Gamble and the Perelman family, especially the late Ruth
and Raymond Perelman. We commemorate these incredible Perelman School of Medicine milestones. The ten-year anniversary of Ruth and Raymond Perelman's historic $225 million naming gift for our school. The 25 year anniversary of
our first graduating class of Gamble scholars. A day like today when we
celebrate our remarkable graduates and their future impact, is an excellent reminder of what we owe to these
transformative gifts and families. With their visionary compassion, the Gambles and the
Perlman's not only epitomize Penn medicine's highest
ideals of advancing science, patient care, medical
education, and health equity but they have empowered
all of us to make real our progress and our missions. On these anniversaries
we are deeply grateful to the Gambles and Perelmans. To honor the Gambles, please welcome Associate
Dean of Admissions, Neha Vapiwala. - Hello, I'm Neha Vapiwala Associate Dean of Admissions here at the Perelman School of Medicine. For Anne and Walter Gamble, class of 1957, their investment in the
Perelman School of Medicine has never been solely about improving the quality of education, it's about the students themselves. As founders of the 21st
century endowed scholars fund they have made it possible
for more than 300 students and counting to receive full scholarships. In 1992, the 21st century scholarship started with five students and this year marks the 25th anniversary of that first graduating class. Now there are 71 current scholars, including 14 who are graduating today. The Gamble's generosity and compassion goes far beyond the financial, as Dean Jameson described so well when he be stowed our
school's highest honor the Dean's Medal to Anne and Walter. He said, this award represents
the love and gratitude from their wonderful,
extended family of students as well as the countless
patients and their families who will be forever
impacted by their kindness. It is a family that I
am proud to call my own. Anne and Walter were
present at my wedding, they witnessed my oldest
child's first word, hat, which Walter can
recall for you perfectly. And they send my children
electronic birthday cards every year without fail. That is just an example of the impact that Anne and Walter have had as members of the Perelman School of Medicine family, but also as members of our
individual lives and experiences. The degree to which they have contributed goes far beyond their
generosity financially, but really extends to the
role that they have played in inspiring all of us
to give back in turn. The ripple effect Anne and
Walter have set in motion is as inspiring as it is enduring. And I personally want
to thank them, not only for the kindness that enabled my journey at Perelman School of Medicine, but for all of those that
have followed after me and for the continued example that Anne and Walter set. Thank you so much and we
owe you a debt gratitude that can never be repaid. - Thank you, Dr. Vapiwala
and Anne Walter Gamble. Just like the Gambles,
Ruth and Ray Perelman and the Perelman family
believed deeply in our school and our students. So much so that 10 years ago, they made the largest single gift ever given to the university
and the largest single gift to name a medical school
in the United States. Penn Medicine could not have
asked for better champions. The Perelman and family's engagement has resulted in a global
model for patient-centered, compassionate healthcare,
support for our students and it has catalyzed
trailblazing breakthroughs from our faculty. In the last three years,
we've seen 13 FDA approvals and an unprecedented amount of research launched in response to
the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2011, Ray Perelman received the University of Pennsylvania Medal for Distinguished Achievement. One of the highest honors
bestowed by our institution. At that event, president
Gutmann said about Mr. Perelman, and I quote, "Throughout your life, you have exemplified the
enormous good and lasting change that grows from philanthropic leadership, partnered with personal engagement. In so doing, you have
helped all of us embrace what it means to work to share our gifts for the betterment of our
community and our neighbors." End quote. I will always remember
Ray's pride and warm smile upon receiving that medal. That said his greatest pride was the success of the
Perelman medical students and he cherished his
many moments with them. United under the name of
such a prominent family, we honor their vision of
generosity and renew our commitment to equitably furthering
health, education, science and healthcare for the benefit of all. I am delighted to note and
celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Perelman naming gift. - We celebrate you class of 2021, with what I hope you know
is our heartfelt admiration and congratulations. I am very pleased to
announce Dr. Nadia Bennett, Associate Dean for
Undergraduate Medical Education, clinical and health system
sciences curriculum. As the recipient of the
Medical Student Government Clinical Teaching Award. Dr. Bennett has been
honored with this award from our graduating students. Our students know Dr.
Bennett as their champion. Her immense creativity to
uphold clinical education during a challenging time, her innovative spirit and our
commitment to her patients have all been honored by
our graduating students. Dr. Bennett will now
lead the class of 2021 in the recitation of
the physicians pledge, the declaration of Geneva, a modern version of the Hippocratic oath. - At this time, I have the privilege of leading in the declaration of Geneva. I ask the class of 2021 to
please rise wherever you are. According to our tradition, I also invite all physicians
presence in this ceremony, to rise, to renew their commitment with these newest members
of our profession. Wherever you may be, please speak loudly and join me in the recitation of the oath. Let us now read this oath together. "As a member of the medical profession, I solemnly pledge to dedicate my life to the service of humanity. The health and wellbeing of my patients will be my first consideration. I will respect the autonomy
and dignity of my patients. I will maintain the utmost
respect for human life. I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability,
creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality,
political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing, or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient. I will respect the secrets
that are confided in me even after the patient has died. I will practice my profession
with conscience and dignity and in accordance with
good medical practice. I will foster the honor
and noble traditions of the medical profession. I will give to my teachers,
colleagues and students the respect and gratitude
that is their due. I will share my medical knowledge for the benefit of the patients and the advancement of healthcare. I will attend to my own health,
wellbeing, and abilities in order to provide care
of the highest standard. I will not use my medical
knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties even under threats. I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honor." Thank you class of 2021. - To the graduating class of 2021, as our ceremony comes to a close I take this opportunity on
behalf of all of the faculty who have been your teachers,
mentors and friends to express what a privilege it has been to have come to know you
teach you, mentor you and accompany you on this journey. We are excited for you
and sharing your joy. We are so proud of your
achievements and accomplishments and wish you continued success in whatever career path you choose as you begin your next phase
in your professional careers. To all of your parents, relatives, significant others and friends, we extend our sincerest congratulations on this very special day for all of you. Your support has been critical
for our graduate's success. Despite the challenges of the past year, to our graduates, we
ask that you please know that we feel reassured to know that you are the future of medicine and the scholars, clinicians and healers that will lead us forward to better times. And thank you to the Watson
Highlanders bagpipe ensemble and the university of
Pennsylvania glee club for providing the music and to Dr. Rajiv Shah, our inspirational graduation speaker. Dr. Gail Morrison, our esteemed colleague and our alumni speaker, and to Dr. Munyikwa our student speaker. Our sincere gratitude is extended to the individuals in our
office of academic programs who coordinated today's events, especially Carrie Renner and Joe Gallo and the office of student affairs. Our registrar, Chris Veitz, Anna Delaney and all of our staff and the
academic programs office. As we conclude today's
graduation ceremony, I personally hope that each
of you in the class of 2021, find the utmost satisfaction and joy in your medical careers. We hope that you will always regard the Perelman School of Medicine as your launching pad in home and that you stay connected
with your friends, classmates, teachers, and mentors. Congratulations to all of you. This concludes our commencement exercises celebrating the class of 2021
hats off to the class of 2021. Hats off to the class of 2021. - [All] Congratulations. (instrumental music)
