Commencement Marks Significant Milestone for
New Medical School
PASADENA, Calif., May 14, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School
of Medicine (KPSOM) graduated its inaugural class of students
yesterday, a milestone for the new school, which opened in
July 2020. The first-ever
commencement ceremony honored the Class of 2024 at the Pasadena
Civic Auditorium, surrounded by faculty, staff, family and guests.
Two-time NBA Hall of Famer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Earvin
"Magic" Johnson, was the guest commencement speaker.
With a vision to change medicine for the better, KPSOM is one of
the newest medical schools in the country, offering
forward-thinking medical education for future physicians by
integrating a reimagined curriculum, cutting-edge technology and
the latest pedagogical innovations in medical education. Named
after the late Bernard J. Tyson—former Kaiser Permanente chairman
and CEO—the school is committed to promoting diversity in medical
education and the health profession, achieving health equity for
all and eliminating health disparities wherever they exist.
In the first year of residency placements, the school confirmed
100 percent of graduating students matched to an impressive list of
residency programs where they will begin their careers. The
students' most matched programs include Internal Medicine,
Emergency Medicine, and Family Medicine.
"Four years ago, we set out to provide a world-class medical
education as we welcomed our first class of students," said
Mark Schuster, MD, PhD, KPSOM
Founding Dean and CEO. "These students took a chance on a brand-new
school, started their medical education journey during the early
pandemic, and spent their time not only learning, but also making
important contributions to clinical care, medical scholarship, and
our school's growth. I am filled with pride as I reflect upon their
achievements and celebrate how they have developed the qualities
that define the best physicians. They leave us now to enter their
residencies with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide
compassionate, patient-centered care while improving care quality
and addressing health inequities."
"When you represent this name [of Bernard J. Tyson], it's not about money you
make, but about making change. I want you to go out there and
change the world step by step," Johnson shared during his
commencement address. "Nobody will remember you being a doctor…what
they will remember is how many people you touched…Remember, that's
what you got to be about. Life is beautiful when you affect
somebody else's life in such a great way."
While the basketball star is known for his success on the court,
Johnson became a public health advocate after announcing he was HIV
positive in 1991, transforming how America looked at people living
with HIV. He continues to foster authentic conversations about
health, serves as a voice for marginalized communities and
addresses racial disparities in healthcare.
Differentiated from traditional medical education models, KPSOM
created the first standalone medical school Department of Health
System Science, with the core curriculum emphasizing a holistic
view of health, integrating biomedical science, clinical science,
and health systems science (HSS) with a focus on case-based,
interactive, small-group learning. The school offers a multimodal
anatomy program utilizing cutting-edge technology and anatomical
structures preserved by plastination in the innovative Anatomy
Resource Center (ARC) providing students the opportunity to
practice anatomy studies throughout their four-year studies.
Students at KPSOM also begin clinical training within the first
three weeks of their medical journey instead of during the second
year in traditional medical school programs. KPSOM also has a
comprehensive community engagement program through the
service-learning curriculum, assigning students to a regional
Federally Qualified Health Center, providing a nonclinical course
setting to learn from healthcare professionals and community
members to further prepare students for their role as future
patient advocates.
"This is an incredible moment for our students and school," said
Lindia Willies-Jacobo, MD, FAAP, senior associate dean for
admissions and equity, inclusion, and diversity at Kaiser
Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. "This group of
students, faculty and staff came together with a shared mission and
purpose centered on medical education that ignites a passion for
learning, a desire to serve and a commitment to improve the health
and well-being of patients and their communities. Today we
celebrate them as they start the next chapter as physicians."
"I am excited to start my specialty-specific training and am sad
to see my time in medical school come to a close," said KPSOM
student commencement speaker Lucas
Saporito. "I embrace the challenges ahead of me and … am
proud of all my classmates who will be doing fabulous things across
the country. I am honored to be speaking on behalf of my classmates
at graduation and I know I can't possibly do our journey and
trajectory justice in the five minutes I have to speak. Even with
these differing emotions and uncertainty, I have faith in God and
what is to come. Each of us has been given a unique opportunity to
leverage our strengths for the good of others, and I know we have
the skills to take advantage of this opportunity. For that I am
very thankful."
About the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of
Medicine
The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of
Medicine is devoted to offering an outstanding, forward-thinking
medical education. Its curriculum is built on the three pillars of
Biomedical Science, Clinical Science, and Health Systems Science.
Students think broadly about the ways care can be more effective
for everyone and learn how to advocate for better health in homes,
schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and society. The school
incorporates many of the most innovative and effective educational
practices available today.
In addition, the school's future physicians learn the knowledge and
skills essential to the highest quality patient care and the
transformation of the nation's healthcare so that all people
thrive. Learn more at medschool.kp.org.
Contact
Ashanntí Hill Mims
Ashannti.K.Hill@kp.org
(626) 826-7374
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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine