Photography by Rayni Shiring, University of Pittsburgh, for School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Medicine and School of Nursing. Photography by John Altdofer for the School of Public Health.
The end of the academic year is just the beginning for the hundreds of graduates of the six University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences schools.
With the schools’ graduation ceremonies stretching over more than two weeks in May, it has been a season of ritual, regalia, pride and joy.
The graduating health sciences students made the initial cut when they were accepted into Pitt’s highly competitive programs. Now, after years of hard work, they are prepared to lead the way in patient care or research in various health sciences fields, carrying their Pitt training and values with them.
Among the many highlights this year, the School of Public Health celebrated 350 graduates—the largest class in the school’s 78-year history, reflecting the school’s growth. The School of Dental Medicine celebrated that its predoctoral students had a more than 99% first-time pass rate on their written national board exams. The School of Medicine celebrated the first graduate of its Primary Care Accelerated Track program, in which students finish medical school in three years rather than the usual four, to help address the shortage in primary care providers.
Following are selected quotes from an inspiring speaker at each of the ceremonies, and a gallery of photos.
School of Dental Medicine
School of Dental Medicine, May 16: “You are prepared, you are ready, and as the remarkable human beings that we know you to be, you will work to never lose sight of the fact that caring for another human being is a profound privilege.”—Marnie Oakley, dean, School of Dental Medicine.
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, two ceremonies on May 2:
Morning ceremony: “Paradoxically, the more intelligent our systems become, the more essential your humanity becomes. Kindness is no longer optional; compassion is not a soft skill; empathy and sympathy are not extras. They are the very qualities that will distinguish healing from efficiency, care from process, medicine from machinery.” —Kanwal “Ken” Nischal, division chief, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Strabismus and Adult Motility, medical director, Digital Health UPMC Children’s Hospital, and executive vice chair of UPMC Ophthalmology.
Afternoon ceremony: “Altruism, accountability, adhering to a code of ethics, commitment to lifelong learning, honor and integrity, and respect. These are what it means to be a professional in the field... Put that list in front of your workspace so they're always in front of you and never leave your frame of mind.”—Paul Rockar, past president and board member of the American Physical Therapy Association of Pennsylvania.
School of Medicine
School of Medicine, May 17: “What we hope for is that not only are you going to do amazing things—things that we’ll be proud of—but wherever you go, you remain a leader and make a difference.”—Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, School of Medicine.
School of Nursing
School of Nursing, May 1: “Through your clinical rotations and research endeavors, you have already begun to take care of our communities. This is your time to go out and show the world what it means to be a Pitt nurse.”—Christine E. Kasper, dean, School of Nursing.
School of Public Health
School of Public Health, May 2: “When the work feels too large… throw the starfish anyway.”—epidemiology doctoral graduate Nathan Raabe, referencing a story about returning stranded starfish to the ocean one by one.
School of Pharmacy
School of Pharmacy, May 1: “Now that you have graduated, the door is wide open. Get out there, make an impact on your patients, make a difference in the society.”—Raman Venkataramanan, professor of pharmaceutical sciences and pathology, School of Pharmacy, and recipient of the Stanford I. Cohen Teacher of the Year Award.
