Mayo Clinic celebrated the graduation of the next generation of physicians and scientists. In a combined ceremony in Rochester, Minnesota, on Wednesday, May 22, students received degrees conferred by Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Forty-four new physicians joined the prestigious Mayo Clinic alumni, and 40 new biomedical scientists received doctoral degrees. In addition, 36 students received master's degrees.  

They join 60 other Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine students in Jacksonville, Florida and Phoenix graduating on those campuses in May. They persevered through the pandemic, learning healthcare in a rapidly changing environment. The students will move on to residencies at Mayo Clinic and across the country, helping ease the physician shortage and becoming future healthcare leaders.

Dr. Leigh Griffiths shared his first remarks as the new dean of Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He spoke about his unique journey to Mayo Clinic as a veterinarian and a Ph.D. research scientist and how it started with the simple advice to follow his passion. This journey started in a small town in England, not known for academics, and stemmed from a love for dogs at a young age. "Following my passion has led me halfway across the world, to work at an amazing institution with incredible people, and I am confident that if you follow your passion, your journey will be just as rewarding," says Dr. Griffiths. "The culture of Mayo is an extraordinarily collaborative place. Instilled in your training is the power of collaboration and team science. This attribute of your training will enable you to conceive of large, multifaceted efforts and to make meaningful contributions to society."

The commencement ceremony featured a student speaker from each school. Dr. Jeffrey Woods was the student speaker from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, and as a soon-to-be physician, he reflected on how the unique circumstances of this medical school class shaped their experience. "Despite many challenges, we are a class of truly outstanding medical school graduates and physicians. I invite you to take a moment now to call to mind, yes, the joys and triumphs of the last several years, but also any incompleteness around experiences missed. The power of a rite of passage like today is it can help transform us," says Dr. Woods.    

Dr. Danielle Beetler, the student speaker from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, urged graduates to celebrate this moment. "We represent so many different journeys to get to this moment, a host of individual experiences. I challenge all of my peers to say thank you again today to as many people as you can remember that have been a part of this journey for you. This achievement is not your own, but one to share with all of them," says Dr. Beetler.

Dr. Bryce Binstadt, a Mayo Clinic alumnus, was the commencement address speaker. His remarks centered around the idea of home and how it's about the people around you. He encouraged graduates to create a place that people will look back on with warm nostalgia. "What I remember most about the places I've loved to work, including Paul Leibson's lab here at Mayo, are the people, the camaraderie, the laughs and even the challenges we faced together. That vision is how I approach the goal of 'inclusion' in my work," says Dr. Binstadt. "I ask myself: What can I do to encourage individuals, to welcome all, to hear their voices, to value their diverse experiences, to truly include them, so that 50 years from now they will look back and think, 'Those were some good times with a great bunch of people.' I challenge you also to apply the lens of nostalgia beyond your home and workplace."

Each of these graduates from the class of 2024 represents new cutting-edge technology, innovations in medicine and healthcare delivery, leadership in medicine and science, and new methods to make innovations more broadly available across the world. They are tomorrow's leaders of healthcare and the biomedical sciences.

Journalist: Broadcast-quality video can be found in the downloads at the end of the post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network."

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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 Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers world-class graduate education leading to Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. degrees, as well as master's degree programs. The school offers research opportunities on campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, with training by leading investigators and clinicians in cutting-edge biomedical fields. For more information, visit Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. 

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.

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