Image: Steve Gilbert
Medicine is in a constant state of change, and the best path forward is not always clear, whether you are a medical or dental student or the dean of Harvard Medical School.
Those with talent, passion and perseverance, however, can transform uncertainty into new careers and unconventional solutions that advance patient care and biomedical research, said Jeffrey S. Flier, dean of the faculty of medicine at Harvard University, in his keynote address for Class Day 2016.
“We are always transitioning between the imperfections of today … and the better care we seek in our future,” Flier told the graduating class of HMS and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, who gathered on the Quad on May 26 with their families, friends and professors. “It gives me great comfort to know that those of you under this tent will play a key role in making that happen.”
Flier encouraged students to consider how they have changed since they arrived at HMS and how they might continue to grow as they embark on their journeys as caregivers, researchers, policymakers and leaders and in other roles that may not even exist yet.
Flier, the 21st dean of HMS who will be stepping down in July, described the many shifts he has experienced in his own career and speculated about what changes may lie ahead for himself, both professionally and as the father of a member of the HMS Class of 2016.
“I face this transition both exhilarated and anxious about the future, not much different than many of you,” he said.
Flier cautioned graduates that the history of medicine and of the School itself is marked by mistakes as well as successes, ranging from discriminatory admissions policies to believing that heart attack patients needed weeks of bed rest.
He called out issues that currently confront the field, including high rates of medical errors and over-prescribing of antibiotics.
He also poked fun at his own past mistakes as well, telling the story of how he delivered a provocative political speech at his medical school graduation in 1972 when attendees expected celebratory remarks.
Saying he wasn’t going to repeat the error, Flier reflected on the many successes he has seen at HMS since his tenure as dean began nine years ago.
“There are hundreds of stories of change discovery and innovation at HMS during your years—and sometimes by you,” he said. He went on to briefly showcase the exceptional work of five HMS/HSDM students:
- Aakash Shah, a Rhodes scholar who created Be Jersey Strong, a program that helps people in his home state sign up for health insurance
- Debbie Teodorescu, who codeveloped the Harvard Innovation Lab President’s Challenge grand-prize winning SurgiBox, a way to deliver safe, affordable, transportable and sterile surgical equipment
- Cary Crall, who worked with partners across HMS to create a welcoming environment for LGBTQ students, patients and staff
- Amy O’Brien, who co-founded the first student-faculty collaborative pediatric clinic in the nation at Revere HealthCare Center, part of Massachusetts General Hospital
- Aswin Sekar, an MD-PhD student who in 2015 became first author on a major scientific paper describing a new theory on the genetic origins of schizophrenia
Flier also shared his optimism about emerging biomedical technologies, including precision medicine, new imaging modalities, remote sensing and population-level bioinformatics.
“There is so much to be done to improve our profession and thereby human health,” he said. “But the arc of medical progress will move forward at an accelerating pace, and the opportunities you will have in your careers are truly thrilling.”
