Great Medical Graduation Speeches You Should Hear or Read
The commencement address at a college graduation can be a major highlight of such an event. The graduation speech for a medical school should inspire those in attendance to move forward proudly and confidently with their careers. Many talented and esteemed speakers have delivered these addresses, and several have offered passages worth remembering. The following are some of the greatest and most inspiring medical graduation speeches delivered in recent years.
Dr. Atul Gawande MD, MPH, at Chicago Medical School in 2009
In his address, Dr. Gawande speaks about the “battle for the soul of American medicine.” Dr. Gawande describes the efforts made by Save the Children (a charity that his deceased friend had directed) to educate the inhabitants of a remote village on the subject of basic nutrition. The story serves as a metaphorical example, in which the village represents American medicine; and the role of modern health care professionals in altering that reality cannot be overstated. The doctor goes on to discuss the importance of being “positive deviants” who are willing to implement change.
Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., at Stanford School of Medicine in 2012
In her speech, Dr. Hamburg depicts her evolution from a medical school student who aspired to become an academic physician, to an intern called to duty in the early days of the AIDS crisis. She talks about the balance between aspiration and need, and how important it is for medical professionals to embrace change in their intended career courses. The doctor speaks of the challenges she faced as the Health Commissioner of New York City, and how such experiences were useful in her subsequent position with the Food and Drug Administration. Her roles in various government agencies led her to understand the significance of making hard choices – choices that must be made. Dr. Hamburg then reminds every future doctor in attendance to retain and strengthen a moral compass in challenging times.
Dr. Jordan J. Cohen, M.D., at University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine in 2012
In this address, Dr. Cohen talks about the paradigm shift from autonomy to accountability, which is currently taking place in the culture of modern medicine. He discusses the many ways that the culture has changed since the “Dark Age” of medicine when doctors were not questioned or challenged regarding the decisions they made. He then goes on to describe other paradigm shifts that have taken place, all of which have been necessary in order to accurately reflect modern needs. He encourages the future physicians present to consider the needs of both individual patients and society at large.
Dr. Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, at Yale Medical School in 2010
In this speech, Dr. Berwick discusses a challenge unique to medical professionals: The opportunity to transcend the white coat and the stethoscope – as well as other symbols that represent the privilege and the power of being a doctor – and to truly serve patients and their families at a human level. He illustrates this point by providing excerpts from a piece of correspondence that had been sent to him by a stranger (a woman who had been denied sufficient access to her husband in his dying days). Dr. Berwick uses this example to demonstrate what it means to go above and beyond the required duties of a doctor.
Earning a degree from a school of medicine is an achievement in itself. The graduates of any medical school should be able to hear an amazing commencement address. According to PB Talent, a company you should consider when hiring medical speakers, certain medical graduation speeches have been remarkable enough that they will likely be referenced for many years.
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