In 2014, when he was the keynote speaker at the White Coat Ceremony for the medical school鈥檚 inaugural Class of 2018, Dr. Alan Shapiro ended his address with a request 鈥 to be asked back to WMed when the students graduated as new doctors.
He got his wish and on May 13, Dr. Shapiro, senior medical director of Community Pediatric Programs at The Children鈥檚 Hospital at Montefiore in New York and co-founder and medical director of Terra Firma: Healthcare and Justice, returned to Kalamazoo to deliver the Class of 2018 Commencement address at Miller Auditorium.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a privilege to be able to have had the career that I have had and be able to impart some of the lessons I鈥檝e learned to the graduating students,鈥 Dr. Shapiro said. 鈥(WMed) is a very special place. What couldn鈥檛 be cooler than to be invited back four years later?
鈥淭hat鈥檚 incredible.鈥
The words he wrote for his commencement differed from those he delivered to the students in 2014. Still, the message was similar, emphasizing the importance and necessity of humanism in medicine.
He implored the 48 new doctors in the Class of 2018 to take an active role in addressing ongoing health inequities, to be vocal advocates for their patients, their patients鈥 families and the communities where they live and work.
鈥淲e all go into medicine for different reasons,鈥 Dr. Shapiro told the students. 鈥淢y ask of you today is not why you went into medicine but what values you will bring into your practice. Will you fight inequities, will you be on the front lines, will you use your power as a physician to change the system so that everyone can have access to quality, affordable healthcare? I鈥檓 hoping you will.鈥
Dr. Shapiro encouraged WMed鈥檚 first 六合彩开奖直播 graduates to hone their listening skills and strive to be active listeners and observers. He also told them that practicing humanism in medicine will require them to be aware of their own biases, to understand them and work diligently to bridge that gap to effect positive outcomes for their patients.
Dr. Shapiro reminded the students in the Class of 2018 of the 鈥済rowing body of evidence鈥 related to the effects of stress on human health and he told them that two key concepts they will need to constantly be thinking about are adverse childhood experiences of their patients, as well as social determinants of health.
鈥淵ou will be a part of the revolution,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou can push new ideas, you can think out of the box, and you should, but always keep in mind the role we physicians have to end health inequities and fight for social justice no matter where you practice or what field you go into. Oftentimes, we feel powerless to change what we see.
鈥淚 like to reverse that and say that it might be that we just don鈥檛 recognize the power we have. Your 六合彩开奖直播 confers enormous power and can be used to change the world.鈥
As he closed his commencement address, Dr. Shapiro reminded the students of the importance of taking care of themselves, of being mindful of their own health.
鈥淭ake good care of yourselves,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing more precious than your own health and well-being.鈥
Later, Dr. Shapiro said he was honored to receive the opportunity to deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2018. He said that as he prepared for the event, he worried about writing and delivering a good address, about crafting words that the students could take with them as they begin their journey as new doctors.听
He said he was given important advice prior to his address: 鈥淭hey might not remember what you said but how you made them feel.鈥
As he gathered with the students and their families after the commencement, he said the feedback he received left him confident that his words had inspired the students.听
He was especially moved when some of the students and parents told him, 鈥淲e completely remember what you said (at the White Coat Ceremony) and you said it even better this time!鈥 听
鈥淚 was on such a high when I left for home,鈥 Dr. Shapiro said. 鈥淚 called my mother from the airport to wish her a happy Mother鈥檚 Day and to tell her how inspired I was by the next generation going into medicine. I also told her she could see my address on the social media of her choice 鈥ot that she doubted for a second I was in Kalamazoo!鈥澨
Dr. Shapiro said he hopes he will be invited back soon.
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