The ceremony started out with an alumna of SGU welcoming everyone and introducing this guy who was important in some way, but I don't quite remember why (sorry!). Before he started his little speech, he called his assistant up on stage to say she had worked for him for 35 years on Wednesday and gave her a bouquet as a "work anniversary" gift. So sweet!
After he spoke, the keynote speaker gave his speech. His name was Dr. Jacobs and his speech was fantastic (at least in my opinion). He talked about 3 lessons he had learned about being a doctor. The part that stands out particularly in my mind was when he talked about truth-telling. He started his career when doctors routinely lied to patients about what was wrong with them. One patient came to the hospital when he was an intern because she had been on her honeymoon and had started to become very tired and lethargic. She was pale and bruised very easily as well, so they cut the honeymoon short to come back and check her in at the hospital. She was diagnosed with leukemia, which in those days was pretty much fatal within a year. However, the attending physician strictly forbid the interns to tell her what was wrong, saying they would be removed from their internships and he would see to it that they never became doctors. Instead they were to tell her that she had...oh, I can't remember now. Something like a mild case of hemophilia and that she would make a full recovery. So he lied to her when she asked what was wrong. She was admitted again and again over the next year and every time she specifically requested that he come in and she would say, "Why am I not getting better? What's really wrong with me?" And every time he lied. Finally, she came in looking very wasted and asked the question yet again. He knew her time was almost done, but still he lied. After leaving her room he was angry at himself and decided to turn back, but just then was paged to the ER where he spent the rest of the night. When he returned to her room the next morning, he discovered she had died during the night and neither she nor her young husband had ever known why. It was a very powerful story and really drove home his point that every patient deserves to know what is happening to them and why.
Then it became even more like a graduation. Students had their names announced as they walked up on stage and were coated by one of the faculty or special guests standing there. Once there were 13 of them all on the stage that had been coated, everyone would clap, they would leave the stage, and the process repeated. For 800 students. I was so glad I brought the Surface to play with once Bryant was coated! He was one of the first groups up there and I was so proud of him.
Doesn't he look very doctor-like in his coat? Yay Bryant!
Afterward we went to a little reception with a buffet and chatted with some of our new friends.
I'm excited for Bryant and I know he'll do a great job. Thanks to everyone who has supported us (well, more specifically, Bryant) in pursuing this goal!
P.S. Can anyone see my sunglasses line? I got a little burned at the pool earlier in the day.
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