Virtual ceremonies allow UC College of Medicine to recognize graduates

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine is turning to virtual ceremonies to mark graduation rites for undergraduates, medical and graduate students. The first ceremony is set for Friday, May 8, from 1-2 p.m. to honor 53 students receiving bachelor’s  degrees in the medical sciences program.

A virtual graduation ceremony is set for graduate students in the College of Medicine on Friday, May 22, from 2-3 p.m., while the college will hold its Honors Day ceremonies for graduating medical students virtually on Saturday, May 23, beginning at 10 a.m. The college will honor 66 master’s and doctoral students along with 164 medical students. Links for these virtual ceremonies are being sent to graduating students to share with their networks.

“It’s a very weird time, and I don’t know how I am supposed to celebrate it,” says Olulayole Adedeji, one of the graduating seniors in medical sciences. “It’s very different. I was planning a lot of activities during my senior year for the spring semester.”

Adedeji, a Cincinnatus Presidential Scholar, was looking forward to a special dinner honoring the graduating presidential scholars, along with an in-person ceremony sponsored by the medical sciences program and UC’s actual graduation day celebration filled with speeches, regalia and excitement. 

Instead, she’s back with family in Wilmington, Delaware, and planning to come back to Cincinnati when the pandemic eases to take photos in her cap and gown on campus and visit friends. Keeping things in perspective is always good, says Adedeji.

“Unfortunately, I could not go to these ceremonies because of the pandemic,” she says. “However, when I look at the bigger picture, I can see it is affecting many people in different ways. There are people suffering and even people dying of the coronavirus. Yes, I am upset, but it makes me grateful that I am able to be with family at this time.

“I don’t have a ceremony, and I know it is fine, but at least we have the virtual graduation,” says Adedeji. “It’s what we can do at this moment. We are all in a tough spot and this is the best for now.”

Addressing viewers during the medical sciences celebration will be UC President Neville Pinto, PhD, with a pre recorded speech, Philip Diller, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for educational affairs, and Anil Menon, PhD, associate dean for baccalaureate education and director of the medical sciences program. Students have been asked to include a photograph for the ceremony as well as a sentence or two on their plans and other final thoughts they would like to share.

Adedeji is looking to the future. She is considering going on for an advanced degree — initially a master’s in complementary and alternative medicine followed by medical school in the future. She says the rigors of the medical sciences program will help her achieve her goals.

“It challenged me in ways that I didn’t know I could be challenged,” says Adedeji. I believe it has prepared me for the stress of going to medical school because I was pushed so much as an undergraduate.”

Menon says the graduating class has a bright future and that many graduates plan to pursue an advanced degree in healthcare in the future.

“Every single one of these students has a good brain and a good heart,” says Menon. “They entered the program often thinking about careers in health care but not certain which one they wanted to pursue. They had within them the flexibility to consider many options. In a sense, the medical sciences program is a co-op program in medicine that allows them to experience many branches of medicine for almost four years.”

“They are hardworking and they put in the effort to tackle as many experiences as they wished,” says Menon.

Featured image at top: Graduate with a cap and gown. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand.