ATHENS, Ohio -- The students of Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine's Class of 2002 will receive D.O. degrees on Saturday, June 1, at the college's commencement exercise, the third to be held separately from Ohio University's general graduate commencement. The commencement will take place in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium at 10 a.m.
OU-COM's first class graduated in 1980, having been established in 1975 by the Ohio General Assembly. The college is now in its 26th year, and is still the only osteopathic medical school in Ohio. The class of 2002, composed of 48 males and 46 females, will be the college's 23rd graduating class.
Presiding over the ceremony will be Ohio University President Robert Glidden, Ph.D. "The practice of medicine is a challenging and wonderful responsibility," Glidden said. "This commencement ceremony acknowledges a great deal of hard work and dedication on the part of these 94 graduates in their preparation to become physicians. It also recognizes the efforts of our faculty and staff in helping them succeed."
"There is no educational program more arduous than medical school," said OU-COM Dean Jack Brose, D.O. "To succeed, students must be intelligent, personable, willing to adhere to the highest standards of professional behavior and have the capacity to learn while fatigued and under pressure. In most educational programs, students worry about passing exams or writing papers. While medical students do this as well, their most important test is caring for people's lives. We are extremely proud of the outstanding students that graduate from OU-COM, all of whom have met our very high standards."
An alumnus of the first OU-COM graduating class, William Schlotterer, D.O., will be presenting the commencement address. Schlotterer, one of the first physicians in Ohio to work extensively with AIDS patients, is now a family physician in Sandusky.
"I am certainly proud to see an alum from the inaugural class come to speak to our students," said Chip Rogers, OU-COM director of external relations. "There is no one that I can think better suited to send our students out into the world than someone who has gone through the rigors of medical school."
Peter Bell, D.O., president-elect of the Ohio Osteopathic Association, and Jay Shubrook Jr., D.O., president of the OU-COM Society of Alumni and Friends will make remarks during the commencement. Brose also will make remarks and award announcements, among which are the Dean's Award and the Student D.O. of the Year Award.
A reception will be held at the close of the ceremony in the Baker Center Ballroom.
