Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and our growing number of Friends,
I want to direct today’s Monday Message to our graduating class of 2020. This morning as I prepared to head out on a bike ride into the city, I threw my normal riding gear, helmet, shoes, gloves plus one addition, a new face mask, into the car it was again a stark reminder that things have changed as we approach our next normal (see below). It also sparked a few thoughts that I’d like to share with you.
As I was thinking about the graduation ceremony at the Kimmel Center that we’ve grown accustomed to, the thought occurred to me that there might be some advantages of our upcoming virtual ceremony. Think of it – how many of you actually look forward to wearing that silly hat, dressing in multiple layers in a room that’s often too hot, wearing uncomfortable shoes and in my case wearing about 20 pounds of bling on top of everything else, for almost 3 hours? And then there are the speeches. Some are quite memorable, such as last year, from Dr. Lou Catania or when the U.S. Surgeon General came and told us you’d always remember him because he’s the guy who put the warning on beer labels. This year’s speech will also be one of those memorable ones as well, knowing Dr. DiStefano. But some of the others, forgettable, at best!
Graduating from Salus is much more than a ceremony and I know most of you realize that. The day represents your hard work, dedication and commitment you’ve made to help others throughout your academic careers. You are passing the threshold and have become a healthcare professional. The day also represents the pride our faculty and staff share in helping you to achieve your success. As you prepare to leave Salus, I wanted to take the opportunity to share just a few pieces of advice that have served me well over the years. As you begin your new careers, make it a point to establish a work-life balance that allows you to prioritize things that make sense for you. Prioritize your life in such a way that you can put family and significant others first.
Attack your work with passion and excitement every day. Never be satisfied with average performance. Just doing enough to get by is just not acceptable, especially as a health care professional.
Listen to and treat your patients, rather than all the technology that surrounds you. Your patients should be at the center of everything you do.
Be part of the solutions and help to make the world a better place. Listen, learn, be gentle with people and volunteer your talents so you can teach by example.
We’ve got some significant challenges ahead of us as a country, but I am absolutely confident that your generation of graduates are well-prepared to address these and make things even better than they were before COVID-19 entered our lives.
As I noted in last week’s message, THIS IS OUR TIME – really, this is YOUR time and you are ready to confront whatever challenges may come your way.
Class of 2020 - You are SALUS STRONG! Go forth and get ready to do great things – we will always be here for you and very much look forward to watching you spread your wings as you leave our nest.
Mike
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