Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) honored its second class of students in commencement ceremonies yesterday, with graduates surrounded by loved ones, guests, and the school’s faculty and staff at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Former U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, was the guest commencement speaker.
“What can I say about the 48 people becoming physicians today?” said John L. Dalrymple, MD, KPSOM Dean and CEO, in his remarks at the event. “Their journeys are unique to each and every one of them. They each saw medicine as a calling, a challenge, and a craft. Some had designs on a field from the outset; others took their time getting to that point. Some had support systems here in the Los Angeles area, others brought them with them, and still others came here completely alone. They came together and formed a community.”
The ceremony marked the pinnacle of the four-year medical school journey for members of KPSOM’s Class of 2025, many of whom have helped shape and influence the curriculum and programs of the school, which opened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The commencement also followed recent news that the school had a 100 percent residency match for all graduating students this year.
“There is something special about the second class,” Benjamin said in her commencement address. “While the first class gets a lot of attention, and they certainly should, the second class proves that not only can we do it, but that we can do it again, and even better.”
