Continuity among change was the theme of Penn's School of Medicine's commencement, held last Sunday morning at the newly built Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Philadelphia.
Attracting a crowd of approximately 1,500 people the ceremony featured a processional of both current graduates and the Class of 1952.
"The fiftieth commencement class offers a visible and tangible example of continuity and tradition," Executive Vice President and Medical School Dean Arthur Rubenstein said in his opening remarks.
Rubenstein reminded the graduating class of the ethical and moral values that coincide with the medical profession while Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke about how the field of medicine is continually evolving.
Fauci related to the graduating class by admitting that he didn't remember who spoke at his medical graduation or what they said.
However, Fauci told them that they will not have to remember what he said either.
"You likely will not remember what I say," Fauci said. "However, you will not have to remember... since you will experience what I am talking about and will remember that experience."
During his speech, Fauci focused on global health, expressing his adamant belief that "an unhealthy world is an unstable world."
Although Fauci attributed the transformation of his career to the threat of the AIDS epidemic, he said he felt that the medical field is still stimulating.
In particular, Fauci noted the "unimaginable" task of sequencing the human genome and the "surging interest... in global health research" as the most cutting-edge issues in medicine.
"I cannot imagine there being a more exciting path to enter than medicine right now," he said.
However, Fauci noted that the current interest in global health was sparked by "the realization that public health goes hand in hand with political stability."
Moreover, the leader and expert in bioterrorism and globally infectious diseases humbly reminded the almost to-be doctors of the continual learning and growth within the field of medicine.
"We are all perpetual students," Fauci said. "You will never know as much as you need... or want to know."
Aaron Kesselheim, a representative of the Class of 2002 who spoke at the ceremony, said that he will remember his experiences as a medical student by all the stains on his short white coat.
"Each stain tells a tale of what it means to be a doctor," Kesselheim said.
While the different speeches provided a combination of words of wisdom and insights into the medical profession, some felt the ceremony did not provide enough attention to the graduating class itself.
"They didn't do a great job of telling how great our class is," Medical School Student Government President Nzinga Ajabu said. "This is the most phenomenal group of doctors and they didn't say how great we were going to be."
