Congratulations to the HMS/HSDM 2024 graduates! The MD, DMD, master’s, and PhD graduation celebrations and ceremonies were held on Wednesday, May 22, and Thursday, May 23, 2024.

PhD Hooding Ceremony

PhD Graduates Anticipate Careers of ‘Benevolent Achievement’

candid photo of group of PhD graduates wearing caps and gowns

147 students receive doctoral degrees, devoting themselves to biomedical change

Class Day Ceremony

MD and DMD Graduates Ready to Face Challenges and Seize Opportunities to Improve Health for All

Group photo of class of 2024 MD/DMD students on steps of Gordon Hall

Morning Commencement Exercises at Harvard

HMS/HSDM medical, dental, master's, and PhD students celebrate in Cambridge.

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Master’s Graduation Ceremony

Harvard Medical School Master’s Graduates See Possibilities Everywhere

More than a dozen graduates in regalia cheer on the marble stairway at one side of HMS's Gordon Hall

Diverse class poised to become leaders in wide array of biomedical fields

Celebrating the Harvard-MIT HST Graduates

Group of about 35 men and women standing on stairs in a building.

A special celebration was held for the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology graduates at MIT on Wed., May 22.

Congratulations to the HST Class of 2024!

Meet Some of the 2024 Graduates

Their journeys are different, but these graduates are pursuing science and medicine with common purpose

A woman in a black dress and colorful shawl stands in front of a window
To Heal the Patient, Get to Know the Person

For master’s graduate Arcita Pramudita, empathy is key to excellence in research, medicine, education
A man in a suit and tie stands outside with a tree starting to leaf out behind him
Building a Career in Military Medicine

Graduating MD student Mitchell Winkie on taking care of service members and families
A woman in a black HMS fleece and blue shirt stands with her hands on her hips in a lab
Generating Scientists and Regenerating Lungs

For graduating PhD student Irene Wong, training young researchers is as important as investigating respiratory diseases
A woman in a black dress with white belt stands in front of a marble building
Seeing the Human Behind the Data

Graduating physician-scientist Deborah Plana combines passion for analysis, improving patient care
A man in a suit and tie sits in front of a microscope
Bringing Personal Perspective to Homeless Care

Soon-to-be HMS graduate’s family struggled in U.S. after fleeing war-torn Central America. He hasn’t forgotten.

Closeup of hands of graduates in regalia holding a giant toothbrush with Harvard embossed on it
Pursuing Dentistry with Passion and Purpose

Read about dental graduates’ routes to science and medicine

These MD Grads Are Health Equity Advocates

As physician-activists and entrepreneurs, they support underserved patients and future biomedical leaders

Head shot of a woman wearing a white coat embroidered with Harvard Medical School
Pooja Chandrashekar

Her solutions include health literacy and encouraging girls in STEM fields.
Main in a tie and white coat with Harvard Medical School embroidered on it
Azan Virji

He co-created a mentor network to help international students pursue training in the U.S.
A woman in a white coat with Harvard Medical School embroidered on it
Anjali Misra

She is passionate about delivering equitable emergency care and advocating for changes in medical education
A woman with long braided hair and glasses wearing a white coat
Ashley Kyalwazi

She works to guide, inspire, and invest in the development of Black leaders the health sciences
A women in a blue dress and white coat with colorful hoop earrings
LaShyra Nolen

She prioritizes healing and justice to improve the health of populations that face discrimination
Man in red pattern shirt with bolo and white coat with stethoscope draped over his shoulders
Victor Lopez-Carmen

He is dedicated to making his ancestors proud and contributing to the health of future generations

Ceremony Keynote Speakers

Melissa Gilliam Named Class Day Speaker

head shot of Melissa Gilliam, a middle-aged Black woman with a bright smile, slightly graying hair, dark blazer, and pearl necklace

Before she becomes the 11th president of Boston University this summer, Harvard Medical School alumna Melissa Gilliam will deliver the keynote speech at the HMS/Harvard School of Dental Medicine Class Day ceremony on May 23.

“I am looking forward to meeting the graduating class and congratulating these doctors on their tremendous accomplishment,” Gilliam said. “HMS provides a singular and transformational medical education, and I am honored to participate in this important milestone.”

Spending time with HMS/HSDM students is not unusual for Gilliam; her son, Ben Grobman, is a member of the HMS Class of 2025.

Gilliam has sought to address significant societal challenges as a physician, researcher, educator, and administrator. Her scholarship focuses on developing interventions to promote adolescent health and well-being. Read the full story.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Nabel to Speak at Master’s Graduation Ceremony

Head shot of Nabel smiling

Physician-scientist and health care leader Elizabeth (Betsy) Nabel, HMS professor of medicine, emerita, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will be the keynote speaker at the HMS Master’s Graduation Ceremony on May 22.

Nabel has advanced scientific knowledge of the molecular genetics of cardiovascular diseases through her work as a cardiologist and research biologist. During her time as director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, she oversaw $3 billion in annual funding for disease research and helped increase women’s understanding of their risks for heart disease by developing The Heart Truth Red Dress awareness program.

As president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 2010 – 2021, Nabel focused on aspects of academic medicine that included caring for patients, training medical and scientific leaders, supporting innovative medical research, and serving the Boston community.

Nabel also served as the inaugural chief health and medical advisor to the National Football League, where she identified areas to enhance player safety, care, and treatment. She is currently chair of the advisory board for OPKO Health and serves on several other public and private boards.

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