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Becoming a doctor: Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine students graduate in Arizona
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Forty-seven medical students graduated from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday, May 20. They join more than 55 other Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine students in Florida and Minnesota graduating on those campuses throughout May. These students persevered through the pandemic, learning healthcare at the height of nationwide lockdowns and worldwide uncertainty. These students will move on to residencies at Mayo Clinic and across the country, helping ease the physician shortage and becoming future healthcare leaders.
"Your journey through medical school has been nothing short of remarkable — our COVID class. From the countless hours spent in classrooms and laboratories (or on Zoom) to the invaluable hands-on experience gained in hospitals and clinics, you have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence and a passion for healing," says Dr. Jewel Kling, the vice dean of Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and the Suzanne Hanson Poole Dean of Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Arizona. "Behind every successful graduate stands a village of support. To the families and loved ones who have stood by your side throughout this journey, offering encouragement, love and understanding, we owe a debt of gratitude."
Dr. Christopher Allen was the student commencement speaker and, as a graduate and soon-to-be physician, spoke about where they've come from and where the road leads. "It began when we decided to follow that calling to serve we all innately share. Some of us come from a family of physicians and are fulfilling a legacy. Others are becoming the first doctors in the family. Some always knew they would be doctors, others discovered their calling after a first career. Some of us are living the immigrant family dream, and all of us are here because of the sacrifices made by the generations before," says Dr. Allen.
Dr. Nathan Delafield, a Mayo Clinic internal medicine physician, was the commencement address speaker. Dr. Delafield completed his residency at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Delafield shared about his journey from a childhood of dire poverty to a career focused on community medicine. And he offered advice about the challenge of embracing uncertainty in the next steps of medical education. "For it is not the certainty of our path that defines us, but, rather, our ability to navigate the uncertainty with grace, compassion and unwavering determination," says Dr. Delafield. "You learned to embrace uncertainty as an opportunity for growth, innovation and discovery."
Graduates have worked side by side with world-renowned experts at Mayo Clinic to create new ways to address patients' future needs and lead positive change in medicine. They will lead innovative and transformative efforts in healthcare, and they will apply their knowledge to develop creative solutions for some of the most complex problems facing patients and health systems today.
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About Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine is a national medical school with four-year medical degree programs in Rochester and Arizona. The school also offers a Florida program, enabling students to complete their first two years of medical studies in Arizona or Minnesota, and their final two years of learning in Florida. For more information, visit Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.
