Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Geisel School of Medicine held a virtual Class Day ceremony to ensure the health and safety of the Dartmouth community and graduates’ families.
Guest speaker Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, MD congratulated the 88 graduating medical students, their parents, and grandparents, during Geisel School of Medicine’s 2020 Class Day celebration on Saturday, June 6—an annual rite of passage for medical students marking the close of their academic studies.
“To be part of this historic moment in a special ceremony—it is an honor for me,” Quinones-Hinojosa said. “It will be vividly remembered because we have seen our world turned upside down by a pandemic that has significantly impacted our health, economy, and our sense of security,” he said. “This is a very special moment—it is the beginning of a new phase of your life that will be full of achievement, and failures.”
Quinones-Hinojosa, who is chair of neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, recalled his own journey from migrant farm worker to physician to illustrate how perseverance and hope, rather than fear, can change the world. He also shared lessons he has learned: Provide care, not just medical or surgical management, but care (which is possible to provide through telemedicine); understand and reflect on the big picture; and always be honest and compassionate. He also encouraged the newly minted physicians to not fear asking for help.
