Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine graduates ninth MD class

SCRANTON — Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) conferred Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees upon the 98 students who compose Geisinger Commonwealth’s graduating Class of 2021. Commencement ceremonies were held Sunday, May 2, in person at Mount Airy Resort in Mount Pocono. The ceremony was also live streamed.

Steven J. Scheinman, M.D., Geisinger Commonwealth’s president and dean, welcomed guests and graduates. In January, Dr. Scheinman announced his retirement. In his final remarks as Geisinger Commonwealth president and dean, Dr. Scheinman reflected on his long career as a physician and as a dean. He noted that a career in medicine “offers the opportunity to combine elements of some of the noblest pursuits available to humans: healing, teaching and scientific inquiry.” He said, however, that good doctors, if they really care about their patients, “will find that they have more to teach you about life, and illness, and suffering, and death, and hope, than you could possibly learn from teachers, or books, or even online.” He concluded the ceremony by saying, “This institution has come a long way in the past 9 years. We’ve overcome challenges and brought the school to a place that even our audacious and visionary founders could not have envisioned … It has been my great honor to have played a part in this school’s upward trajectory, which I have every confidence will continue.”

Greetings were offered on behalf of the school’s board of directors by board chair, Virginia McGregor, and also by Geisinger CEO, Jaewon Ryu, MD.

William Jeffries, PhD, vice president for academic affairs and vice dean of medical education, together with Dr. Scheinman, presented the commencement speaker, Karen De Salvo, M.D., with an honorary Doctor of Medical Arts degree.

Dr. DeSalvo is the Chief Health Officer of Google Health. She leads a team of health professionals at Google who provide clinical guidance for the development of inclusive research, products and services. Prior to joining Google, Dr. DeSalvo was national coordinator for health information technology and acted as the assistant secretary for health in the Obama Administration. During her time at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. DeSalvo focused on creating a more consumer-oriented, transparent and value-based health system. Dr. DeSalvo served as the New Orleans Health Commissioner following Hurricane Katrina. Prior to that she was vice dean for community affairs and health policy at the Tulane School of Medicine where she was a practicing internal medicine physician, educator, researcher and leader. She serves on the Council of the National Academy of Medicine.

Aditya Eturi, M.D., a member of the Class of 2017 and chief resident in internal medicine at Brown University, offered greetings from Geisinger Commonwealth’s growing Alumni Society.

Graduating students were:

• Alexa M. Bolock of Waverly

• Alayna B. Craig-Lucas of Dalton

• Timothy Kane Farrell of Clarks Green

• Madison V Strony of Clarks Summit

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) is a member of the Geisinger family. GCSOM offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Danville, Doylestown, Scranton, Sayre and Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger Commonwealth offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a portfolio of master’s degree programs. The school’s innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from its region, as well as from across the state and the nation. Geisinger Commonwealth is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. Visit www.geisinger.edu/gcsom.