(Photo gallery by Wayne State University's Matt Garin and Steve Pierce)
The family of Angelina Palacios, M.D., had a busy afternoon on June 6. First, they watched Dr. Palacios walk across the stage at the Fox Theatre in Detroit as one of 266 members of the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Warrior M.D. Class of 2023 who earned a medical degree at the university’s 155th commencement and hooding ceremony.
Minutes later, they were headed down Woodward Avenue to Little Caesars Arena, where little sister Paola Garza graduated from Cass Technical High School in Detroit – the same high school Palacios graduated from eight years ago.
“I’m nervous, emotional and excited. It’s a culmination of a lot of years. And it was worth it. It was definitely worth it,” Dr. Palacios said.
She and her classmates will begin their medical residencies later this month and in early July, depending on the program specialty. Dr. Palacios is staying in Detroit, where she will practice Family Medicine at Henry Ford Health. It was important to her to stay in her hometown.
“I have to. I have to stay. I need to help our city,” she said.
The graduates were celebrated by hundreds of family members and friends in the audience. Capricia Bell, M.D., a graduate and soon-to-be Obstetrics and Gynecology resident at Emory University in Atlanta, had 20 people cheering her on, including siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, and her parents.
“It has been an amazing ride. She has done all the hard work. We’re so proud of her,” said mother and father Renee and Earl Bell.
Members of the faculty, including department chairs and directors, School of Medicine executive leadership, deans and the president’s cabinet joined students and their guests in the audience or on stage.
The ceremony’s speakers included Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Career Development Margit Chadwell, M.D., ’94; WSU Board of Governors member Michael Busuito, M.D., ’81, Res. ’88; WSU President M. Roy Wilson, M.D.; School of Medicine Dean Wael Sakr, M.D., ’Fel 87; and WSU Medical Alumni Association President Steven Daveluy, M.D. ‘’08, Res. ’12.
Honorary Doctors of Laws degrees were presented to keynote speakers Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., and Elena Rios, M.D., MSPH, MACP.
Dr. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health before stepping down in 2021, is a senior investigator in the intramural program of the National Human Genome Research Institute and previous leader of the international Human Genome Project in 2003. He reflected on his dreams as a medical student and his career as a physician-geneticist before grabbing his guitar and serenading the receptive crowd in a COVID-19 parody sung to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” The song’s final verse celebrated the year 2023 and Wayne State University’s newest doctors.
Dr. Rios, president and chief executive officer of the National Hispanic Medical Association, took the stage to share her thoughts with the students and the audience about the challenges of the dynamic health care environment, specifically related to utilizing technology for underserved patients.
School of Medicine Dean Wael Sakr, M.D., spoke about the challenges the Class of 2023 faced as medical students who completed their second and third years of medical school during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well has their dedication to volunteering to provide care for the underserved through student organizations.
“You are living examples of the type of physicians that are trained and graduated from this medical school – very clinically competent with an excellent fund of knowledge but also with the heart and soul that is connected and committed to taking care of our communities here and everywhere,” he said.
The Marshal of Students was Class of 2023 University Counselor Jennifer Crystal, Ph.D., LPC, an honor selected by students and given to a faculty member who has contributed greatly to their education. The Marshal of Faculty was Nashat Imran, M.D., FASN, FACP, vice president/president-elect of the Faculty Senate.
After the investiture of the doctoral hood, Vice Dean for Medical Education Richard Baker, M.D., administered the professional oath to the new physicians.
Then, a Military Officer Promotion Ceremony for three Class of 2023 members was held, led by United States Air Force (retired) Col. Arthur Eisenbrey, M.D. ’86, Ph.D., ’80., a clinical professor of Pathology. Claire Novelly, M.D., and Samuel Todd, M.D., were promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the United States Navy; and Marie Papamarcos, M.D., was promoted to the rank of captain in the United States Army. The trio will attend medical residencies at military medical centers.
Class of 2023 President Rahul Gupta, M.D., closed the ceremony with a reminder to his classmates to stay fearless, dream big, push boundaries, and leave a trail of compassion and excellence wherever they go.
“The world needs our unique blend of knowledge, skill and empathy more than ever before,” he said. “Maybe find success not just in the accolades and achievements, but also in the joy we find in our interactions with our patients, the connections we forge with our patients and the impact we make in their lives. Thank you to our dear alma mater for guiding, challenging and shaping us into the doctors we are today. May your spirit forever burn bright within us as we embark on this extraordinary journey. Farewell, my friends. Let us embrace the unknown with open hearts and steadfast determination. Together we will create a future where compassion, knowledge and innovation all thrive. To new horizons, and the endless pursuit of healing.”
The entire Wayne State University School of Medicine Commencement and Hooding Ceremony is available for viewing on YouTube. Watch the video here: