While on-campus restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic mean that the Geisel School of Medicine’s Class Day ceremony on June 6 will be virtual, the school is trying to keep many of the traditional elements of its medical student graduation ceremony, including regalia, guest speakers, and the Hippocratic oath.
The event will feature pre-recorded videos of the day’s speakers, including Dean Duane Compton, Dartmouth President Philip Hanlon D '77, Interim Senior Associate Dean of Medical Education John Dick MED ’03, Geisel Alumni Council President Vincent D. Pellegrini, Jr. D ’77 MED ’79, and student speaker Julie Voydik ’20. A roll call of graduating students, as well as those receiving special awards, will also be featured in the video event.
Chosen by the Class of 2020, this year’s guest speaker is Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, MD, the William J. and Charles H. Mayo Professor, chair of the Department of Neurologic Surgery, and director of the Neurosurgery Brain Tumor Stem Cell Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.
His research seeks to improve patient safety, maximize the efficacy of current treatments, and advance the development of new therapies for brain tumors, especially in diverse populations. Over the years, Quiñones-Hinojosa has received multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. Holding more than a dozen patents, he has started several companies to translate his laboratory work back to the patient. He is co-founder and president of the nonprofit Mission: BRAIN, Bridging Resources and Advancing International Neurosurgery.
Widely published, Quiñones-Hinojosa has received many accolades for his work, including being named 2014 Neurosurgeon of the Year by Voices Against Brain Cancer, where he was also recognized with the Gary Lichtenstein Humanitarian Award.
Quiñones-Hinojosa is chair of the Bioengineering, Technology and Surgical Sciences Study Section of the NIH; chair, Surgical branch review, NIH/National Cancer Institute; and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Oncology, Annals of Surgical Oncology, World Neurosurgery, and World Journal of Stem Cells.
Geisel’s Class Day event will be held on June 6 at noon followed by a live after-party via Zoom for the graduates. Video of the event will be available on the Class Day website.
