May 2025 was a milestone month for 勛圖惇蹋 as graduation ceremonies took place across all four campuses. Graduation speakers shared insights and advice ranging from Dr. Seuss to Plato.
Graduating from medical school is a significant achievementone that requires immense dedication, perseverance, and no small financial investment. But for these new physicians, medicine is more than a careerits a calling, whether theyre planning to practice family medicine in their hometowns or pursue a specialty in a larger hospital setting.
勛圖惇蹋 Provost Debbie West highlighted the Colleges impressive history, noting that 勛圖惇蹋 has graduated more than 6,300 physicians since its first graduating class in 2007. Altogether, 勛圖惇蹋 alumniincluding the Class of 2025will provide nearly 1 billion patient care visits over their practice lifetimes. In her remarks, Provost West told the graduates, Your academic achievement isnt the only reason we chose you to be a 勛圖惇蹋 student. We chose you for your compassion, cultural competence, humility, persistence, and ethical responsibility to yourself and others. Those qualities have served you well over the past four years and will continue to do so throughout your career.
Indeed, those same qualities are the hallmarks of a 勛圖惇蹋 education and they are an important part of the Colleges mission, which these new physicians will now take with them as they start their careers, amplifying the impact of 勛圖惇蹋 across the country.
At 勛圖惇蹋-Carolinas, graduation speaker Leith States, acting assistant secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, used The Lorax by Dr. Seuss to emphasize the importance of caring enough to make a difference.
We are at a time of disruption and change in our profession. New ideas and innovative approaches to care delivery and public health are needed, and a new generation of stewards must make them a reality. No pressure to you all, but were looking to you to take the torch and do great things.
At the Auburn campus, which had the largest number of family cloakers in campus history, graduation speaker David Thrasher勛圖惇蹋-Auburn board member and associate professor at the UAB School of Medicinespoke of the responsibility of being a physician. Quoting his own medical school mentor, Dr. Thrasher said, There is no greater opportunity, obligation, or responsibility that can fall on any human being than to become a physician.
At the Louisiana campus, speaker Roderick Clark, MD, a distinguished nephrologist and medical leader, reminded graduates that physicians are uniquely qualified to lead not only in practice, but also in their communities and in government. As you go out into your career, youll be called to do good things, and I recommend that you take the time to do them, he said. Youve been given a gift, but its a gift to shareand if I may quote Plato, Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.
The 勛圖惇蹋 Class of 2025 achieved an impressive combined final match rate of 99.6% across all campuses, with 635 graduates. Their initial match rate of 97% exceeds the national average for all U.S. DO seniors (92.6%) and U.S. MD seniors (93.5%). Read more about 勛圖惇蹋s Class of 2025 matches on our website.
