On Thursday, May 2, graduating medical students gathered at The Ohio State University Mershon Auditorium for The Ohio State University College of Medicine's 2024 Doctoral Convocation, also known as the Hooding Ceremony.

The placement of the doctoral hood recognizes students completing their medical degrees and welcomes them into the profession of medicine. The ceremony also acknowledges the many outstanding achievements of the graduating class.

As the college’s “pandemic class,” these learners began their educational journey with online classes and overwhelming uncertainty. Their courage, commitment and resilience combined with state-of-the-art faculty and facilities transformed their gained knowledge of foundational science into extraordinary patient-centered, compassionate care.

During the ceremony, Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS, dean at the Ohio State College of Medicine gave remarks, acknowledging the momentous day as being the culmination of years of education and training and the day the students officially become doctors.

“Take delight in each wonderful moment — they are all part of your journey,” Dr. Bradford said. “Know that you are innovating care and making a difference.”

Dr. Bradford shared a few other notable accomplishments from the class of 2024: over the last several years, 18 learners earned dual degrees at Ohio State with 10 PhDs, four master’s in public health and one MBA. These students pursued rigorous training in the midst of their medical education and will go on to shape the future of medicine as physician scientists, population health experts, policy advisors, and organizational leaders.

Vignesh Doraiswamy, MD, clinical assistant professor of Internal Medicine at the College of Medicine received the highly coveted 2024 Professor the Year Award and then delivered the Convocation Address which focused on how the graduating class has grown to show incredible compassion and genuine concern for patients, colleagues and fellow learners as they’ve embarked in active service. He also offered words of wisdom for the future.

“Make the world around you a better place,” Dr. Doraiswamy said. “You are the light, you are the help and you are human kindness.”

36 learners were inducted into the national medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and 33 were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, which is a community of medical students, physicians and other leaders who have been recognized for their compassionate care. Three learners, Jacob Farr, Napiera Shareef and Mackenzie Wright, were honored through a Military Promotion Ceremony which pinned them into their new ranks in the United States Air Force and the United States Navy.

Following recitation of the class oath, graduating students lined up to be adorned in hoods. The new graduates recited and Oath of Hippocrates and joined into the performance of Ohio State’s “Carmen Ohio” performed by the Ultrasound Medical Student Chorus. A few students shared what the momentous day meant for them after the rigorous journey to reach their life-long dreams of becoming physicians.

Katlyn Henderson will soon head to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for a residency in pediatrics. For her, the Convocation celebration illustrates how much she has learned and shared with other medical students over the years as a mentor.

“I realize how far I have come,” Henderson said. “Wow, I did this. I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful day.”

T. J. Atchison will soon head to Wake Forest to complete a residency in neurosurgery.

“Surgery is hard, that is what I like about it,” Atchison said. “Patients come in sick or in need of surgery and leave healed and feeling much better.”

The mark of the learners successes and milestones concluded with an outside reception with faculty, leaders, staff, family and friends.

Awards Conveyed on Stage:
Dean’s award – Jessica Sciuva Academic
Excellence Award – Gabriella Seidler

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Watman Achievement Award – Noah Mallory
William J. Means Memorial Award – Aaren Kettelhut
Clinical Excellence Award – Jenny Yang
Leadership Award – Mehak Chawla
Catherine R. Lucey, MD Ambassador Award for Professionalism – Francisca Douglass
Gossman Service Award – Evans Osuji
Medical Scientist Award – Kylene Daily, PhD
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award – Anjali Fernandes

Outstanding House Staff Teaching Awards
Ashley Aldridge, MD, Department of General Surgery
Neemesh Desai, MD, Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics
Bryn Koehler, MD, Department of Internal Medicine

Preceding the Hooding Ceremony, the Ohio State College of Medicine held its Honors Celebration to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of the following:
Daniel Brook, PhD, Helen Chen, PhD, YouJin Cho, PhD, Kylene Daily, PhD, Markus Harrigan, PhD, Lisa Marie Heisterberg, PhD, Aaren Kettlehut, PhD, Walter Wang, PhD, Wenyuan Yin, PhD, Joshua Zent, PhD, graduates of the MD/PhD Medical Scientist Program
Lea Michele Ghastine, Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service Physicians Professional Advisory Committee
Philip You-Hua Change, MD, clinical assistant professor of Internal Medicine /Pediatrics for the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation
Mehak Chawla, Francisca Douglass, Anjali Fernandes, Kately Henderson and Divya Vinod for the Linda C. Stone, MD Program for Linda C. Stone, MD Program for Humanism and the Arts in Medicine Senior Recognition Awards
Jessica Reed was awarded Advanced Management in Relationship-Centered Care Student of the Year
Kelsey Stanton was awarded Advanced Management in Hospital-Based Care Student of the Year

In addition to these accolades, the Ohio State College of Medicine's clinical departments granted a total of 58 awards to the Class of 2024.

Graduating class video.