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On Saturday, Aug.
12, OU-COM welcomed a new class of medical students, the Class
of 2010, at its 31st Convocation Ceremony. Joy
Padgett, Ohio state
senator for the 20th District,
was the keynote speaker at the event, which took place at 11
a.m. in the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on
the University’s Athens campus.
“Today is special
because we gather — as we do every year — to extend a hearty
welcome to the entering first-year class,” said OU-COM Dean
Jack Brose, D.O.
“These students
are embarking on one of life’s most exciting adventures —
learning to be a physician.”
Dean Brose
introduced the podium speakers and guests for the occasion,
which included Martin Tuck, Ph.D., Ohio University associate
provost for academic affairs; Victor Angel, D.O., president of
the Ohio Osteopathic Association (OOA); Thomas Anderson, D.O.
(’83), president of the OU-COM Society of Alumni and
Friends; Robert Juhasz, D.O., board member of the American
Osteopathic Association; Alison Clarey, D.O., past
president of the OOA; John Gimpel, D.O., National Board of
Medical Examiners (NBOME) vice president for clinical skills
testing; Peter Dane, D.O., associate dean for pre-doctoral
education; Keith Watson, D.O., associate dean for
graduate medical education; Barbara Bennett, D.O.,
Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education clinical
professor; John Schriner, Ph.D., director of admissions;
and Christopher Manhart, second-year medical student.
Tuck welcomed the
Class of 2010 to the University and praised the college’s
national achievements in primary care and family medicine,
citing the impressive commitment of the college’s alumni.
“Results from
recent surveys of alumni from the college indicate that 54
percent of OU-COM graduates practice in one of the three primary
care disciplines — family practice, general internal medicine
and general pediatrics,” said Tuck.
“More than 40
percent of our graduates are located in communities of fewer
than 50,000 inhabitants. And, 14 percent practice in communities
with a population of fewer than 10,000. It should be noted that
these are small cities and villages which have limited access to
health care — not the suburbs of large metropolitan areas.”
“The college,” he
said, “has become a national leader in problem-based medical
education. Furthermore, the college’s hands-on approach to
medical education is consistent with Ohio University’s emphasis
on student engagement — getting students involved in their
education by making it as relevant as possible and building
confidence in their abilities and skills.”
The Class of 2010
is comprised of 108 students, 56 females and 52 males. Nearly
one of four (26 of 108) of the class is a minority student.
Also, 11 of the class are from Southeastern Ohio. The class is
87 percent Ohio residents and 52 percent female.
Next Juhasz and Angel brought
greetings from the osteopathic profession, welcoming the
aspiring student doctors into the profession. Juhasz told the
students that they should proud of joining a profession with
such nationally accomplished and prominent physicians as J.D.
Polk, chief flight physician at the Johnson Space Center; Lt.
Cmdr. Richard Hadick, who was featured on the cover of
Newsweek magazine for his valiant service in Iraq during a
grisly battle, saving numerous wounded military personnel while
under constant fire; and Sister Anne Brooks, the unselfish
director of the Tutwiler Clinic in poverty stricken and
hurricane ravaged areas of Mississippi.
Brose then
introduced the ceremony’s keynote speaker, Padgett.
Padgett delivered
an up-beat, humorous speech calling up the Class of 2010 to be
positive in their outlook and press forward confidently to their
goals throughout medical school and life.
She told the
student doctors of the significance of the career choice they
had made and the impact it would have upon others.
“Your profession
is holistic and your importance, back in your communities is
vital. You are what makes a community strong. Yours is the
profession that people look to make sure their health care is
maintained.”
It is because of
physicians’ presence in small communities that people remain in
them and these communities maintain their vitality — because,
Padgett said, the communities know that physicians are a part of
them.
“Doctors are
extremely important to growing communities and keeping them
healthy.”
But along with
that commitment to community, she said, as individuals they also
had to make another commitment. They had to decide, as she had
for herself earlier in life, that they would have happy lives.
“Who decides
whether you will be happy?” she asked. “You do.”
The happiest of
you, she said, will be the ones that have the happiest, most
positive, successful, enthusiastic thoughts.
“Thoughts are
what control what happens in your lives.… It is your thoughts.”
And it those thoughts that change your dreams into goals that
determine your achievements, which will shape your happiness,
Padgett said.
“The only
difference between a dream and a goal,” she said, “is that a
goal has a plan. And obviously, your plan is working. You are
here today.”
Next she
described several prescriptive measures that students should
take in their day-to-day lives, one of which was laughter.
Everyday, she
said, you should find something to laugh about — whether that be
cartoons or Larry the Cable Guy, referring to the stand-up
comedian. Laughter, she said, is the great preventive medicine.
“Shift your
problems, she told the students, “to challenges. When you have
challenges, you are working and applying a plan to get results.
When you are worrying about problems, it is a misuse of your
imagination. Quit worrying and do something active to change it.
As you work with your patients holistically, you might just have
to remind them that them they will have to make some changes in
life if they want progress.
“You can destroy
your today by worrying about your tomorrow,” she said, drawing
from a Janis Joplin song. “Don’t destroy your today,” Padgett
implored the students.
She then led the
audience through a humorous series of questions and answers on
how perceptions of happiness change as you grow older and
through different phases of life. When you were 16, she said,
you thought you would be happier at 18 because then you would be
an adult. When you were single, you though you would be happier
when you got married, although, she noted as she drew a laughter
from the audience, the older in the audience didn’t seem to
agree with that.
“You are
embarking on a very challenging four years — it will be tough.
But I don’t want any of you on the way to the grave to look back
and think, ‘Oh, I forgot to be happy.’ No one has a contract on
tomorrow, not you, not me, not anyone.
“You’ve got to
start being happy today — every single one of you.”
She then again
stressed the importance of a positive, affirmative belief in
one’s self and one’s goals. “Every accomplishment, no matter how
big or how small begins with the words, I can do it.” This, she
said, one must embrace to be successful and happy in life
despite doubters who would dissuade you.
“My personal
philosophy of life I discovered inside of a Chinese fortune
cookie almost 18 years ago. I opened it up and it said, ‘Person
who thinks something cannot be done should not interrupt person
doing it,’” which drew loud and prolonged laughter and applause
from the audience.
She said that the
thought of achieving your number one goal in life should bring a
smile to your face. Your thoughts ultimately determine your
destiny, Padgett reminded. “And your destiny, as a physician, is
a grand and glorious one. Be sure that you keep those positive
thoughts in mind.”
She ended her
address to the students by reminding them of a story about an
old man and young boy who was attempting save starfish. Although
the old man was trying to discourage him from saving the
creatures because that couldn’t make a difference, the young boy
said it would be an important difference to ones that would
live, the ones that made it to the water.
“You will have
many goals — not everything will ‘not make it to the water,’ but
understand the ones that do will make a huge, huge difference to
yourselves, your families and your communities. So don’t focus
on the things that aren’t working out, focus on the things that
do work. And I look forward to coming back to your graduation.”
Brose then began
the 31st Phillips Medal of Public Service Ceremony.
The Phillips
Medal of Public Service was first awarded by OU-COM in 1976. The
award was named for Jody Galbreath Phillips and her husband, the
late Wallace Phillips, to acknowledge their generosity and
contributions to Ohio University, to higher education and to the
people of Ohio.
The honor is
given to outstanding individuals for medical practice
exemplifying the best traditions of the osteopathic profession;
administration exemplifying the best tradition of humane,
concerned administration and public involvement; and for public
policy leadership exemplifying the best traditions of democratic
concern for the public good and the public welfare.
Brose provided
the audience with a description of each recipient’s
accomplishments as they received the medal.
Keynote speaker
Padgett was one of three recipients of the Phillips Medal. In
addition to Padgett, this year’s recipients of the Phillips
Medal were Clarey and Gimpel.
Juhasz presented
Padgett her medal for her teaching and legislative careers,
which have been dedicated to improving educational and economic
opportunities, removing challenges, building strengths and
easing the struggles facing Appalachian Ohioans. Padgett, the
former director of the Office of Appalachia, also spent 20 years
in Ohio public schools as a teacher. Throughout her career as an
elected official, she has been an outstanding advocate for the
residents of her district. Before being elected state senator
she served as state representative for four consecutive terms in
the Ohio House of Representatives. As a representative, she was
a catalyst for the development and creation of the Foundation
for Appalachian Ohio. In the Senate she has served as chairwoman
of the education committee and vice chairwoman of the
agricultural committee, as well as serving on the finance,
financial institutions, and highways and transportation
committees. Among her awards for public service are the Ohio
Public Service Award and Bob Evans Humanitarian Award.
Bennett presented
the award to Clarey, who is an accomplished surgeon, osteopathic
leader and humanitarian. She is well known for her leadership in
the profession’s leading organizations and selfless service in
her community and across the global. A past president of the
OOA, she served as chief of staff for Grandview and Southview
Hospitals in 1991 and 1992 and currently serves as program
director of general surgery at Grandview, where she introduced
new surgical techniques. A pioneering model for osteopathic
physicians, she was board certified in general surgery in 1982
and was the only female osteopathic physician so qualified out
of more than 30,000 osteopathic physicians. She was president of
the Dayton District Academy of Osteopathic Medicine and is a
fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. In 1991
she was honored as YWCA Woman of the Year. In that same year,
she was recognized as Medical Assistants’ “Boss of the Year.”
From 1989 to 1998, she was actively involved in STARFISH — the
Society Taking Active Responsibility for International Self Help
— in which she rose to the presidency. Through STARFISH Clarey
donated her surgical skills in Sierra Leone, Madagascar and
Guatemala and promoted medical partnerships in Romania,
Yugoslavia and South Africa. Closer to home, she has lent her
talents as chairwoman of the United Way Agency, Montgomery
County for Osteopathic Physicians and provided health care in
her practice to the indigent of Dayton. In September 2006, she
will become president of the American College of Osteopathic
Surgeons.
Watson presented
the honor to Gimpel, NBOME vice president for clinical skills
testing, who is noted for being an outstanding teacher, medical
education innovator, family practice physician and scholar.
Gimpel is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of
Family Practice and a diplomate of the NBOME, and has spent
almost two decades advancing osteopathic medical education and
medical knowledge. He has served on the editorial board of
The Journal of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association
and as a peer reviewer for the American Family Physician
and Journal of the American Osteopathic Association as
well as serving with numerous professional organizations,
including the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association and
American Association of Medical Colleges. From 2002-2004 he was
the director of predoctoral education and associate professor of
family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine,
where he helped to create a competency-based, patient-centered
curriculum. At Georgetown he received the Golden Apple Award for
teaching and the American Association of Medical College’s
Humanism in Medicine Award. Among his important contributions to
medical education are authoring chapters in Sloan’s
Essentials of Family Medicine, Griffith’s 5-Minute
Clinical Consult and Lippincott’s Manual of Family
Practice. At NBOME he directs the Comprehensive Osteopathic
Medical Licensing Examination-USA Level 2-Performance Evaluation
clinical skills test, which certifies osteopathic medical
graduates for practice.
The Aug. 12
Convocation also included the school’s White Coat Ceremony,
during which the members of the Class of 2010 received their
white coats and was officiated by Dane.
Dane explained
the meaning and purpose of the White Coat Ceremony. “According
to the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, who inspired this ceremony,
the bestowing of a white clinical coat to new members of our
profession represents a rite of passage that establishes a
‘contract for professionalism and empathy in the practice of
medicine.’ It signifies the blending of scientific excellence
with compassionate patient care.
“At OU-COM,” Dane
continued, “it also highlights the importance we place on early
exposure of our trainees to clinical medicine, which they will
experience within a few short weeks as they begin spending time
with physicians and other health-care workers in a real-time
setting of health-care delivery.”
Dane introduced
second-year student Manhart, who reminded the class that he had
been in the audience as they were last year.
He explained the
significance of the waist-length coats that they would receive.
“The student’s waist-length white coast symbolized the entrance
into one’s journey as a student physician, which will conclude
in four years’ time.”
He continued,
“The white coat encompasses a large responsibility on the part
of the student physician to uphold a higher standard of academic
excellence, professionalism and maturity.” Those include, he
said, altruism, compassion, accountability, scholarship, duty,
service, honor, integrity and respect.
He concluded with
a quote by Winston Churchill, reminding the Class of 2010 that
of the “ever-ascending” journey to which they had now committed.
Schriner then
introduced the members of the class. They then crossed the stage
to be welcomed into medical school by Dean Brose.
Dane then led the
class in a recitation of the Student Pledge of Commitment.
“We hope that
each one of you will find the next four years to be rewarding
and successful,” Dane said. “Although the program is rigorous,
and the demands are many, we will, as I said earlier, give you
every bit of assistance we can to help you make it through.”
At the end of the
White Coat Ceremony, Brose closed the Convocation and invited
the students and guests to enjoy a light buffet lunch and
refreshments in Boyd Dining Hall on West Green.
- 30 -
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