Black: ‘Our students are living the oaths they have taken’
Dr. Kevin Black, interim dean of Penn State College of Medicine, sent the following email on Wednesday to faculty, staff, students and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center employees:
Dear Colleagues,
Penn State College of Medicine’s commencement is Sunday. Please join me in congratulating this exemplary class of graduates – 139 medical, 66 graduate and 29 physician assistant students – for their contributions and accomplishments during their time with us, and wishing them well as they begin their careers.
I am proud of how these students have responded to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the loss of a traditional commencement ceremony in front of their family and friends. At a time when they understandably could have become angry and frustrated, they instead reached out to College leadership to ask, “How can we help?”
They have been leaders in student activities that reduce the burden on our clinicians while also improving outcomes for patients, particularly the elderly and minority populations that have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic. As just a few examples: students are helping with contact tracing for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and guiding those who have recovered to donate their plasma; they are aiding with new telehealth efforts and assessing the needs of long-term care providers who have been so severely impacted by this virus; and they have translated critical COVID-19 prevention and care information for the Hispanic communities in Berks and Lebanon counties so they can protect themselves. Students are leading two virtual 5K events; the Run for Hershey raises funds for downtown Hershey businesses while another 5K, in partnership with Penn State Health’s Community Relations Team, will support local food banks.
Our students are living the oaths they have taken to improve health and enhance humanity. While the pandemic is tragic, it has given all of us better insight into the complex needs of patients and communities, particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.
We have enjoyed teaching, mentoring and learning from our graduates. Whether their future brings the honor of discovering and sharing new knowledge, advancing public health or caring directly for people, we hope they – and all of our students – experience the joys of medicine and scientific discovery throughout their careers.
I invite and encourage you to join our commencement ceremony. It will be available here at 1 p.m. Sunday. Additionally, although our commencement awards program that recognizes students for exceptional achievement had to be canceled, you can access the list of our award recipients here.
To the faculty and staff at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health, thank you for your unwavering commitment to our students and preparing them for the next step in their journey.
And to our graduating students, thank you for the privilege of educating and guiding you these past few years. You have demonstrated that the future of health care is in extraordinarily capable hands.
Congratulations!
Kevin Black, MD
Interim Dean
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