“You deserve to be proud of how far you’ve come. You are ready." On May 5, the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2022 will hear these validating words from alumni keynote speaker Mia Taormina, DO, FACOI, who graduated from the college in 2004.
She will address a class that has proven its mettle again and again during four rigorous years of medical school, half of which occurred in the shadow of a pandemic. The students adapted to virtual lectures and changing COVID-19 protocols during clinical rotations, supported each other despite suspended in-person events and activities, and spoke out for justice against a backdrop of societal unrest.
In joining the ranks of osteopathic physicians, the 295 graduates will build the future of health care here in Michigan and throughout the country. 76% of the class will complete their residencies in state, while their colleagues will fan out across 28 states to practice the science of medicine and the art of caring.
This cohort enthusiastically provided care for the community through volunteer street medicine runs and OMM clinic hours, by organizing food and clothing drives, and by advocating for health beyond the hospital walls.
Taormina encourages graduates to learn from these experiences as they face challenges in their careers. "There will be times in your life when you are called upon to be a part of something much bigger than yourself," she said. "In these exceptional times you may question your skills, your knowledge, and your capacity to make an impact. What you don’t realize, however, is that in those moments you will have exactly, precisely, and wholly everything you need at that time. If you always do the best you can with what you have, you will succeed again and again.”
Taormina knows firsthand what it means to be part of something bigger. She is recognized for her outstanding leadership in treating COVID-19 in the Chicago area where she serves as chair of the DuPage Medical Group Infection Control Task Force, and for educating the public about the disease in her recurring appearance on NPR – WBEZ Radio 91.5FM’s “Reset” as the weekly physician contributor for COVID Q&A. Her many awards include being named a “Top Doctor” of infectious disease by Chicago Magazine/Castle Connolly five times, winning the Crain’s Chicago – Healthcare Heroes award in 2020 and 2021, and earning the DuPage Medical Group Physician of the Year in 2020.
Dean Andrea Amalfitano will also address the class at the Commencement and Hooding Ceremony at the Breslin Center. “DOs are building the future of health care. For over fifty years, MSUCOM has contributed much to osteopathic medicine on so many fronts. I am proud that the Class of 2022, whose members have already shown incredible resiliency, compassion, and dynamic leadership, will continue to shape our profession,” he says.
Join us in person at 5 p.m. at the Breslin Center or via livestream at https://commencement.msu.edu.
The graduates will have another opportunity to mingle and celebrate at a Banquet and Awards Ceremony held on the same day at 11 a.m. at the Kellogg Center.