Graduation

Favorite memories from this past graduation weekend:

1. The greatest gift of all, of course, being my family traveling from near and far to be with me this weekend. (Honorable mentions go to the personalized Steelers travel coffee thermos from Mom, and Peter's general bad-assness this weekend).
2. Finally getting up on stage and getting the diploma.
3. One last hurrah with my now-former classmates. I'll miss you guys.
4. Our commencement speaker was fantastic, probably delivering a speech that was instantly more memorable than those in recent years. He read a passage from his book, that really communicated his emphasis to the graduates that we remember humanity in our practice of medicine.
   
5. Sleeping in the day after graduation

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

Some not-so-great moments:

1. The night before graduation - I had one too many. Again, Peter and Jocelyn came through for me here.
2. Reading this new version of the Hippocratic Oath. Granted, the classic version necessitated an update as the mores and ethics of modern culture has evolved, but there are a couple phrases in the modern version that seem like they were written with a medical malpractice lawyer looking over the writer's shoulder, and diluting the lyricism of the original:

"I will hold myself aloof from wrong, from corruption, and from the tempting of others to vice.

I will exercise my Art solely for the cure of my patients and the prevention of disease, and will give no drugs and perform no operation for a criminal purpose, and far less suggest a thing...

In proportion as I am faithful to this oath, may happiness and good repute be ever mine; the opposite if I shall be forsworn."

I think even the dean of the medical school read these passages with a little bewilderment. Kinda reduced the impact of the moment.