I am delighted to join you today to recognize the graduates of the Harvard School of Dental
Medicine and the Harvard Medical School on this very special occasion.
Congratulations to the class of 2020 and to all of your loved ones who have supported
you throughout this journey which didn't end in the way any of us had anticipated.
In the past few months, you have faced hurdles that none of us could have imagined.
You rose to the challenge and got to the finish line.
Speaking on behalf of our entire faculty and staff, we are proud of you.
During your tenure at HSDM, you've become skilled clinicians and compassionate caregivers
who treat oral health as a critical component of overall health.
The social determinants of health weren't just an abstract concept that you learned
in the classroom but something you witnessed in the field and took action to address.
Through your community-based externships, you served in local health care settings,
treating those with the greatest need.
Many of you volunteered at programs that focused on vulnerable populations, such as the Action
Clinic for Children and Teens in Oral Health Need, the Wampanoag Oral Health Relief Effort,
and the Special Olympics Special Smile program.
You've delved into projects that expanded your view of what oral health equity means
for patients in the US and for those around the world.
This broad view, combined with your own personal experiences, will serve you well as you join
the profession at a time when our health care system faces many critical challenges.
You will be the advocates and leaders we need to promote science, influence policy, and
champion compassionate and equitable care.
While at HSDM, you also supported each other.
You spent long hours together in the lab and the clinic.
You quizzed each other in midnight study sections.
And you shared words of encouragement with classmates after challenging cases.
You volunteered to coach undergraduate students in pipeline programs aimed at encouraging
individuals underrepresented in dentistry to apply to dental school.
The students, classmates, and mentors you've met here will remain lifelong friends and
colleagues.
Today, we recognize 34 individuals receiving the doctorate dental medicine degree, seven
of whom with honors in this special field and six receiving a degree with general honors.
I'd also like to congratulate the 12 advanced graduate education students receiving the
master's of medical science degree and the 10 receiving the doctor of medical science
degree in their fields as well as those residents and fellows who are receiving specialty certificates.
You join a distinguished group of alumni who are devoted to making a difference in the
lives of others, treating patients with dignity and respect, reading research, promoting public
health, and educating others.
You've become valued members of our community.
And I hope you will hold fond memories of this school as we will of you.
You're setting off into a world that feels very unsettled.
So many of the things we hailed as certainties seem to have faded away.
The Greek philosopher Epictetus said, "We cannot choose external circumstances.
But we can always choose how we respond to them."
Our job was to prepare you to handle anything.
If we had any doubts, your ability to complete your degree requirements under the harrowing
circumstances of a public health crisis demonstrated remarkable determination and adaptability.
We had hoped to teach you how to be resilient.
In the end, you showed us what resilience really means.
Not only have you accomplished what many could not have but you have done it with a measure
of grace that is inspiring.
I hope that you believe in yourselves as much as we believe in you.
You are well-prepared to shape the future of health care.
And we eagerly look forward to seeing where your dreams will take you.
Congratulations class of 2020.