St. Luke’s College of Medicine holds 23rd Commencement Exercises Virtually
SLMCCM Dean Susan Nagtalon highlighted the value of continuous learning as she addressed the graduates of Class 2021.
St. Luke’s Medical Center - William H. Quasha Memorial (SLMCCM-WHQM) held its 23rd Commencement Exercise last August 23, 2021. The graduation ceremony featured the College’s newest set of students graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, SLMCCM conducted the graduation ceremony online. The program showcased the graduates’ graduation portraits, their honors, and their short messages to the College and to their fellow graduates.
College Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Susan Pelea Nagtalon, M.D., MSPH — gave the opening remarks to the graduates. Dean Nagtalon congratulated the graduates for their perseverance and hard work throughout their stay in SLMC-CM, most especially during the shift to online learning.
She highlighted that despite graduating, learning does not stop in the classroom as it is a continuous endeavor.
“In every endeavor, give your best, and not let anyone or anything deter you from achieving them. As you embark on a new chapter in your life, always remember that learning does not stop in college. You will be a student as long as you have something to learn, and this means all your life. Every experience and patient encounter, these things shall enrich you,” said Dean Nagtalon.
The College also invited Jikyeong Kang, PhD as the ceremony’s main speaker to enrich the graduates with knowledge and wisdom of what it truly means to be a doctor and a professional. Prof. Kang is the President and Dean of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and is also an independent director of Security Bank.
“In every endeavor, give your best, and not let anyone or anything deter you from achieving them. As you embark on a new chapter in your life, always remember that learning does not stop in college. You will be a student as long as you have something to learn, and this means all your life. Every experience and patient encounter, these things shall enrich you,” said Dean Nagtalon.
The College also invited Jikyeong Kang, PhD as the ceremony’s main speaker to enrich the graduates with knowledge and wisdom of what it truly means to be a doctor and a professional. Prof. Kang is the President and Dean of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and is also an independent director of Security Bank.
“Today marks your initiation into a noble profession and into a brand new identity. You are graduating with a much-coveted degree as a doctor of medicine. You’ll be treading your future path in this new identity. Whatever you do later in life, I assure you, that your foremost identity would be that of a doctor. You should cherish it and live it,” said Prof. Kang.
The ceremony’s guest speaker, Prof. Jikyeong Kang, provided insights on how to lead a life of excellence.
Prof. Kang highlighted that being a doctor is more than just curing patients because the title “Doctor of Medicine” bears nobility that must be preserved in front of the public eye.
“No good doctor breaches public trust. To me, this is the single most outstanding trait of the nobility of your profession. As you graduate, I ask you to make an unconditional commitment to yourselves, that you will serve humankind in the most ethical way,” added Prof. Kang.
Being the president of a globally recognized educational institution, Prof. Kang ended her speech by providing career “sign posts” to guide the students as they embark on their new journey as doctors. Using her long and decorated experience in the fields of education, marketing and business, Prof. Kang highlighted empathy in one’s work, matching one’s values with their employer’s, fast adaptability to change, and having leadership skills as key areas to focus on once once thrusted into professional work.
St. Luke’s College of Medicine was recently hailed as a top four university in the Philippines for Health by the Institute of Research, Innovation, and Scholarship (IRIS). Last 2020, the College also received a 100% passing rate for the country’s annual Physician Licensure Exam and Specialty Board Exam. With its new set of doctors preparing for this year’s licensure exams, the College continuously strives to provide the best possible education to prepare its students in becoming excellent and patient-centered doctors.