The graduating Class of 2006 take the Hippocratic Oath.
The responsibility of physicians to take their skills and knowledge to those who need it most, and in particular to the Third World, underscored the Commencement ceremonies for this year's graduates from the Weill Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, held in Carnegie Hall on Thursday, May 18. The joint ceremony honored those who earned Masters of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the Graduate School, as well as those who earned Doctor of Medicine degrees from the Medical College.
Commencement speaker Hunter Rawlings, interim president of Cornell University, spoke about the gap between First- and Third-World perspectives of medicine—the former demanding a 21st century medical panacea, the latter simply hoping for relief from diseases often cured by Western medicine long ago.
Dean Antonio Gotto
"Weill Cornell is a pacesetter and a leader in biomedical research and clinical care, and it has prepared you superbly for the medical issues of the 21st century," Rawlings said. "But as the world becomes more globally connected, you can choose the medical work that affects people the most. Many people in the Third World just want a break from their pain and suffering. You are in a position to help, if you want to."
The opportunity to make breakthroughs both at the vanguard of research and in the care of the world's underserved was also central to Dr. Emilio Emini's speech. Dr. Emini, who received the Graduate School's Alumni Award of Distinction, recounted his rise to one of the world's most important AIDS vaccine researchers. "After graduation, I was about to begin a journey and I did not know the ultimate destination," Dr. Emini said. "Your journey in science will be remarkable and it will always be science in the service of life. The purpose of what you will do is to alleviate suffering in the world."
Barry Jay Kappel, student speaker for the Graduate School.
Dr. George McCracken, a nationally renowned leader in the treatment of pediatric infectious diseases who received the Medical College's Alumni Award of Distinction, encouraged the graduates to approach medicine from the patient's point of view. "I encourage you to have an open and inquisitive mind, be it in an office, laboratory or hospital. Asking questions about your patients is the basis of all clinical research," he said.
The Graduate School's Class of 2006 chose Barry Jay Kappel as their student speaker. Kappel, who has published eight manuscripts and made significant contributions in the field of immunology, encouraged his fellow graduates to make outreach and teaching a part of their lives as scientists by going back to their high schools and talking about science.
"Teachers and mentors can help change lives by teaching more than just the syllabus. I hope my fellow graduates have a similar desire to teach and inspire," Kappel said. "We will be changing science in a positive light that will help to create a legacy."
Joshua Farkas, student speaker for the Medical College.
Joshua David Farkas, the Medical College's student speaker, charged the Class of 2006 with helping restore the reputation of medicine in the country. "American medicine is in turmoil. I suggest we make patient care our first priority. It's what led us as students here in the first place and I believe it can be our salvation," he said. "To pursue success directly is a fool's errand; if we care for our patients, success will follow."
The Graduate School conferred 12 Master of Science degrees and 39 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, the highest number of graduates in the school's history. In addition, four research teams associated with the '06 class published in the journal Nature, helping to push the total number of research papers published in scientific journals to more than 60.
The Medical College conferred 101 Doctor of Medicine degrees to students who will go on to perform residency training or research in 19 different specialties. Almost 40 percent of the 2006 class trained abroad, primarily in the developing world, with an additional 10 students participating in the prestigious Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program jointly sponsored by Weill Cornell, The Rockefeller University and the Sloan-Kettering Institute.
Before presenting the degrees, Dr. Antonio Gotto, dean of the Medical College, surveyed the class seated before him and then spoke to parents, friends and visitors who had come to Carnegie Hall to recognize their achievement. "We have a truly outstanding group of young doctors here today," Dean Gotto said. "Doctors who will carry out their new responsibilities with dignity."
Snapshots from Commencement 2006
