56 Graduates Began Their Medical Education on the Duluth Campus

Duluth students participated in a variety of events prior to the ceremony to celebrate their accomplishment and their new title: "Doctor."   The new physicians now move on to residency programs across the country.  Reflecting on that next stage, Deborah E. Powell, M.D. and Dean of the Medical School said in her remarks, " Where you go and whatever your specialty, you will be connected by the mission of the medical profession that connects us all.  You will be engaged in some way in improving the lives of patients through diagnosing, treating and preventing disease."

Gary Davis, Ph.D and Interim Senior Associate Dean of the Medical School, Duluth Campus, who attended the graduation ceremony with other faculty and staff said, "We are thrilled for these students and proud of all of them. They are truly a remarkable class."   Davis and Lillian A. Repesh, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the Duluth Campus were among the eight deans and directors who presented the class of 2007.  In addition to Davis and Repesh, three other Duluth campus deans were among the dignitaries on stage:  Raymond D. Christensen, M.D., Assistant Dean for Rural Health, Richard G. Hoffman, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Curriculum and Education, George J. Trachte, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research.

A celebration was held in downtown Minneapolis for all of the Duluth graduates and faculty the night before the graduation.  In addition, the Center of American Indian and Minority Health hosted an Honoring Ceremony for the seven Native American graduates.  That ceremony was attended by families, Indian community elders, faculty, staff and associate deans from the Medical School.  Three of those students had started medical school in Duluth. David Perdue, M.D., M.S.P.H. (Chickasaw), Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota delivered the keynote address at the ceremony.

Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH.  delivered the commencement address.  Dr. Osterholm is director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), associate director of the Department of Homeland Security's National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD), and professor in the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota. He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences. In June 2005, Dr. Osterholm was appointed by Michael Leavitt, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to the newly established National Science Advisory Board on Biosecurity

Oath:
The Oath For New Physicians selected for the ceremony was originally written by the graduating class of 1982, University of Minnesota Medical School.

TOP PHOTO, L-R: Lillian Repesh, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs; George J. Trachte, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research; Gary Davis, Ph.D, Interim Senior Associate Dean of the Duluth Campus; Richard G. Hoffman, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Curriculum and Education.
Missing is Raymond D. Christensen, M.D., Assistant Dean for Rural Health.

BOTTOM PHOTO, L-R:  Native American Graduates at the Honoring Ceremony:  Michael Arredondo, Christine Athmann, Melissa Deer, Jeffrey Pinnow, Charles Hightower, Michael Kroll.  Bryan Trottier was not at the ceremony.

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