Medical school graduates embrace uncertainty, humanity, and service at commencement
Speakers encourage Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine graduates to remain curious, compassionate, and committed to patient-centered care as they enter the medical profession.
The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) celebrated the achievements of its 13th graduating class Saturday at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke, marking the culmination of four years defined by resilience, curiosity, and service. The commencement ceremony honored 54 graduates as they prepared to begin residency training programs across the country and step into their new roles as physicians.
For Dean Lee Learman, the ceremony was both a celebration and a reflection on the extraordinary journey the Class of 2026 had shared together. The students began medical school in 2022 amid the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Along the way, they adapted to changes in residency applications, virtual interviews, and new licensing exam structures while maintaining a commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care.
“Class of 2026, I am confident that each of you will approach the practice of medicine with compassion, humility, and a zeal for excellence,” Learman said. “Your humanism will keep you centered on the needs of your patients, as you offer yourselves fully to help and to heal.”
Learman highlighted the ways in which VTCSOM’s distinctive educational experience, where research, inquiry, and clinical immersion are integrated throughout the curriculum, will serve the graduates well throughout their careers.
“Your immersion in research will support habits of curiosity, critical thinking and appraisal of new evidence to inform practice,” Learman said. “Your knowledge of the challenges facing health and healthcare will prepare you to jump in as system citizens, working to improve care in your practices and communities.”
The ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by Cyril Clarke, former executive vice president and provost at Virginia Tech and current special advisor to the president. Clarke, who played a pivotal role in advancing the medical school and strengthening the partnership between Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic, challenged graduates to embrace both the science and humanity of medicine.
“You can rest assured that your school of medicine and your educational experience have prepared you well for a career dedicated to public service in healthcare, in the spirit of our university motto ‘Ut Prosim’, ‘that I may serve’,” Clarke said.
Clarke also encouraged graduates to remain curious and humble throughout their careers, particularly in an era shaped by rapid advances in technology and artificial intelligence.
“Firstly, acknowledge that you will never know everything and that you will need to rely on intelligence from multiple sources, including your patients and AI,” Clarke said. “Secondly, that it is the patient’s body and mind that you are treating, and finally, that you occupy a special place in the patient’s circle of close relationships.”
The student perspective at commencement came from class president Carter Gottschalk and class-selected speaker Snigdha Nandipati, whose remarks centered on uncertainty, growth, and the shared bonds formed during medical school.
“To be a physician is to commit to a career in the service of others, to the betterment of our neighbors and communities, to help others live to their full potential,” Gottschalk said.
He also emphasized the class’s commitment to supporting one another throughout their careers.
“The class of ’26 firmly believes that achieving our goals will require us to embrace our humanity, not abandon it,” Gottschalk said.
Nandipati acknowledged the uncertainty many graduates feel as they transition into residency training while also embracing the humility that accompanies a life in medicine.
“Saying ‘I don’t know’ means we’re paying attention,” Nandipati said. “It means we recognize the limits of our knowledge. It means we are willing to ask questions, stay curious, and keep learning. And most importantly, it means we are approaching the science of medicine with the art of humility.”
Drawing from a poem by Khalil Gibran, Nandipati encouraged classmates to move forward courageously into the next chapter of their careers.
“The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean because only then will fear disappear,” she said, “because that’s where the river will know it’s not about disappearing into the ocean, but of becoming the ocean.”
The ceremony also featured alumni speakers Megan Whitham, Class of 2015 who is a faculty member and an OBGYN at Carilion Clinic, and Adam Tate, Class of 2018 who is a faculty member and a family medicine physician at Carilion. Together, the married couple reminded graduates that uncertainty and lifelong learning remain essential parts of medical practice.
“We’ve sat in those seats, wondering if we were ready,” Whitham said. “And then we stood up, walked out, and figured it out— one patient, one question, one lesson at a time. … You are prepared.”
The ceremony concluded with graduates reciting the Hippocratic Oath and officially joining the profession as physicians. For the Class of 2026, commencement represented not only the culmination of years of hard work, but the beginning of lives dedicated to healing, discovery, and service.
