School of Medicine's Class of 2026 Commencement

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Jefferson Center. To celebrate the commencement ceremony of our 13th graduating class, the class of 2026 from the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Families, friends, faculty, and staff, we can all take pride in these graduates. They will go forward to be exemplary patient centered physicians who work to improve the health of the communities they serve. As Hokies, we look for opportunities to serve others and to make lasting contributions to our communities. I’m confident that the tenacity you've demonstrated during your time here has equipped you for just that, a future of meaningful impact and of innovation. To be a physician is to commit to a career of service, serving others for the betterment of our neighbors and communities, to help others live their full potential. The class of 2026 firmly believes that achieving our goals will require us to embrace our humanity, not abandon it. I don't think we've gone a single day in medical school without thinking or saying the words, “I don't know.” But looking back at our 4 years, those very words, that admission of our uncertainty, might have been one of the most important things that medical school has taught us. Saying I don't know means we're paying attention. It means we recognize the limits of our knowledge. And most importantly, it means we're approaching the science of medicine with an art of humility. That voice, the one that says, I'm not sure, it's not a weakness. That is strength. That's the voice that makes you double check. Ask questions. Investigate further. Think carefully about what you're doing and what your plan is. It's the voice that keeps your patients safe. 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. Wherever your path takes you across the country, across specialties, across all the unknowns ahead, remember where you started, and remember that this place, this community, will always be here for you.