OU-COM welcomes
largest class during
ceremony

By
Richard Heck
August, 16, 2009
The 120 members of
the Ohio University
College of
Osteopathic Medicine
(OU-COM) Class of
2013 enter their
medical education at
a crucial time for
both the State of
Ohio and the nation,
said Ohio Board of
Regents Chancellor
Eric Fingerhut.
Fingerhut delivered
the keynote address
at OU-COM’s 34th
Convocation Ceremony
held Saturday at the
Templeton-Blackburn
Alumni Memorial
Auditorium.
“At every time of
challenge and every
time of opportunity,
the people of the
State of Ohio and
its leaders turn to
higher education and
say, ‘Show us the
way, find the
breakthroughs, study
the subjects, bring
together the best
and the brightest
from around the
world to show us the
way into the
future,’” Fingerhut
said. “And now we
turn to you because
you come to us at
precisely one of
those moments when
the leaders of this
state and the
leaders of this
nation are asking
higher education to
help show us the
way.”
Fingerhut said this
is no truer in any
endeavor than it is
in the area of
medicine. “How
exciting it must be
to begin studying
medicine at a time
when you cannot turn
on the television,
turn on a news
program, open a
newspaper, and not
see that the country
and the world is
debating the future
of medicine, the
future of health
care, and how can we
take care of all our
citizens who need
care,” he said.
The chancellor told
the new medical
students that the
advancements and
techniques they are
going to learn to
apply, the drugs and
treatments with
which they will
become familiar, are
just some of the
ways they can help.
“Our answer is that
we place in your
hands the challenges
and the task. Today
you begin the path
to helping our state
and our nation find
the answers to these
challenges,” he
said.
The chancellor
reminded the
audience that Ohio
University – the
state’s oldest
institution of
higher education –
repeatedly has
provided leadership
to the state. With
President Roderick
McDavis, Ph.D., as
chairman of Ohio’s
Inter-University
Council, and OU-COM
Dean Jack Brose,
D.O., a former
leader of a similar
council of Ohio
medical schools, the
university’s
reputation for
leadership
continues, he said.
Fingerhut, who is
leading the state’s
creation of the
University System of
Ohio, said higher
education is vital
to the state’s
future.
“We can’t have
enough higher
education in Ohio;
we can’t have enough
young people
training in
technology, science
and medicine,”
Fingerhut said. “You
are the state’s hope
for the future and
the nation’s hope
for the future.”
“We welcome you and
look forward to all
your great
accomplishments,”
Fingerhut concluded.

David P. Blom Eric Fingerhut
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Highlighting
Saturday’s event was
the presentation to
Fingerhut of the
Phillips Medal of
Public Service, made
to individuals in
recognition of
outstanding
contributions to
health care,
education and/or
public service. The
award is named for
the late J. Wallace
and Jody Galbreath
Phillips, both
longtime friends of
Ohio University.
Fingerhut was
honored with the
award because of his
distinguished career
in public service,
including serving as
an Ohio state
senator, a United
States congressman
and now chancellor.
In presenting the
award, Brose noted
Fingerhut’s tireless
advocacy for
education in the
vital fields of
science, technology,
engineering,
mathematics and
medicine.
Besides Chancellor
Fingerhut, the award
also was given to
David P. Blom,
president and chief
executive officer of
Columbus-based
OhioHealth.
Since joining
OhioHealth in 1983,
Blom has held a
succession of
leadership
positions, becoming
president and chief
executive officer of
the system in 2002.
Under his
leadership,
OhioHealth employs
15,000 health care
workers and extends
to 46 Ohio counties,
including eight
community-owned
hospitals, nine
affiliated
hospitals, and
numerous health care
facilities.
The Convocation also
featured the
college’s White Coat
Ceremony, in which
the new medical
students receive
their short white
coats. The coats,
donated by the Ohio
Osteopathic
Foundation,
symbolize the
students’ entrance
into the medical
profession. They
must be worn by the
student doctors
during clinical
assignments. Upon
graduation, students
receive long white
coats, which
symbolize their
official instatement
as physicians.
This year’s class
tied the highest
cumulative grade
point average of any
of the college’s
previous 33 classes
and the highest
science GPA of 3.57.
Of the 120 members
of the class – the
largest in the
history of the
college – 81 percent
are Ohio residents,
11 percent hail from
Southeastern Ohio or
Appalachian Ohio
counties, and 33
percent are
first-generation
college students.
The class is 53
percent female and
47 percent male,
with minority
students making up
28 percent.
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