I now have the pleasure to introduce our first of two Harvard Medical School Class Day speakers,
Khin-Kyemon Aung.
The title of Khin's speech is Harnessing the Power of Our White Coats.
To the distinguished faculty and loving family and friends who are joining from home, thank
you for all you have done to help us reach this very special day.
To my fellow graduates of 2020, congratulations.
I know this isn't how we imagined celebrating our graduation together.
Rather than showing off our tans after having laid on a beach for a month or sitting under
blue skies at the majestic HMS Quad, we are now separated across state lines, time zones,
and even oceans.
But I don't want to linger on what's different about today but rather celebrate what has
stayed the same, what binds us together, which is a deep commitment to serve others, to care
for, heal, and comfort patients on their best and their worst days, and to forge meaningful
relationships with the communities we serve.
I have been humbled, seeing the many ways your compassion and kindness have shown through:
checking in on patients at the end of a long shift; holding their hand and reminding them
that they're not alone; throwing a makeshift birthday party, featuring balloons, a cake,
and a car for that 7-year-old girl stuck in the hospital on chemo; and staying up late,
combing the literature to find the missing puzzle piece that could give peace of mind
to a young man struggling with an undiagnosed illness.
It has been inspiring to see how you have honored the sacred patient-doctor relationship.
And I know this will continue.
I also know that you will use the power and privilege of your white coat to advocate for
and usher in a healthier and brighter world because, time and time again, you already
have.
When an imported medicine that reverses overdoses became available in Massachusetts, it was
you that organized a campaign to destigmatize addiction and save lives.
When reliable information about COVID-19 was hard to come by early on in the pandemic,
it was you that banded together to write a curriculum that has now reached over 96 countries
across six continents.
Whether it has been at the bedside or in the lab or in the front of classrooms or picket
lines, you have displayed the courage to question the status quo and to push the boundaries
of what is thought to be possible.
And I can think of no time when this is more important than in the moment we are facing
today.
We are graduating into an unprecedented inflection point in history.
While this pandemic has showcased the resilience and heart of so many people-- caregivers,
neighbors, friends and patients-- it has also exposed the problems that have for too long
persisted in our field: patients from marginalized communities dying at rates two to three times
higher than their peers, patients who find themselves forced to choose between putting
food on the table or paying for increasingly more expensive medications to stay alive,
and patients who lack access to basic health care, let alone the latest lifesaving innovations.
Despite the weight of these challenges, to be honest, I am filled with hope and optimism
rather than anxiety or trepidation because here, before us, we have an opportunity to
redefine the health care systems we want to work in and reimagine the society we want
to live in.
The uncertainty that we face gives us a chance to say, enough is enough.
Let's enact change that puts patients at the center of health care again.
Let's set aside differences to bolster public health infrastructure and scientific innovation.
Let's advocate for affordable, compassionate, and equitable care.
In this unique moment, the world is looking to us, to doctors, for our leadership and
guidance.
I hope we will embrace this privilege, knowing that, when we speak, people listen.
And, when we write, people will heed our words.
Our white coats bear so much power.
And it is on us to harness it and strive towards a better future.
If your past behavior is any guide, though, I know we're in good hands and that you will
rise to any occasion that demands your leadership, empathy, and focus.
So I want to thank you, my remarkable classmates and dear friends, for the many ways you have
inspired me with the grace, poise, humility, and kindness with which you move through the
world.
I know the friendships and bonds we have created together will last a lifetime.
Even more, I want to thank our parents, family members, mentors, and teachers, faculty, and
friends who have sacrificed for us and shaped us to be who we are today.
We are indebted to you and hope we can make you proud.
So my fellow class of 2020, I want to end with a note on my hopes for our future.
I hope we each find success on our own terms and discover joy and meaning in the work that
we do.
I hope we will use the privilege of our white coats loudly and boldly.
And, finally, I hope we will be gifted with courage throughout our careers, courage to
see and seek the truth, courage to speak out against things that have, for too long, been
left unsaid, courage to sit down and listen, especially when it is most difficult, and
courage to do things differently, never forgetting the dreams that brought us to medical school
and the dreams that we carry forward with us today.
Thank you for the opportunity to address you.
And I cannot wait to meet in-person again soon.
Good luck.