CC Hosts Inaugural Fellows Grad Ceremony
Photo: Daniel Soñé
The Clinical Center (CC) recently held its first-ever graduation ceremony in Masur Auditorium to mark the completion of training for clinical residents and fellows in accredited and nonaccredited graduate medical education programs.
The ceremony featured remarks from NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, CC CEO Dr. James Gilman, and graduating fellows Dr. Mian Khalid and Dr. Hanna Blaney.
Photo: Daniel Soñé
“You have chosen the most noble profession, one that brings tremendous good to the world by directing the power of science to the service of humanity,” said Bertagnolli via video message. “You face great challenges, but you’re riding a great wave of new knowledge delivered by our country’s robust investment in biomedical research.”
Graduates received fellowship certificates from their individual program directors.
The CC sponsors 23 accredited graduate medical education programs. The programs help fellows realize their potential as a physician, physician-scientist, clinical investigator, or institutionally based academician.
During training, fellows often have the opportunity to work collaboratively with Nobel laureates, be mentored by world renowned physicians, participate directly in cutting-edge investigational protocols, and rotate to some of the nation’s finest academic medical centers within the metropolitan Washington, D.C., region for additional clinical experiences.
The graduating class of fellows faced many challenges over their course of training, most notably the Covid-19 pandemic, Khalid said. Despite it all, they rose to the occasion and continued to advance clinical research when it mattered most.
Photo: Daniel Soñé
“Our combined experiences in our disciplines proved that the CC is not just a research hospital—but rather a hospital that prioritizes patient care, irrespective of a patient’s background, race, creed, national origin or ability to pay,” he said. “We’re proud to graduate from such a compassionate institution.”
Being a fellow at NIH is a training experience unlike any other, said Blaney. Fellows with varying academic backgrounds routinely collaborate with one another to achieve the common goal of improving lives and understanding the nature of disease.
“Together, we have made differences in the lives of countless patients while advancing our understanding of diverse disease processes,” she said. “Nowhere else can we delve into the humanity and inquiry fundamental to the practice of medicine and do so with such talented colleagues.”
To watch the full ceremony, see: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=54897.