Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine commencement speaker shares lessons drawn from ‘The Wizard of Oz’

Saying he hopes they will become “wizards of ozteopathy,” commencement speaker John J. Koncelik, D.O. (’82) shared insights from “The Wizard of Oz” that Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine graduates could apply to their careers. Resilience, compassion and lifelong growth were three characteristics emphasized by Koncelik, a 1982 Heritage College graduate, and student speaker Jonanthan Peters during the college’s 2026 commencement ceremony held May 9, at the Ohio University Convocation Center.

“Your journey in osteopathic medical school is coming to a close. Now a new course is set for you,” Koncelik told graduates. “Your next step when you leave this room as new physicians will require accountability, capability, adaptability and durability.”

Koncelik, a nationally recognized anesthesiologist (now retired), educator and anesthesia business consultant, said he wanted to share with them the tenets he “learned the hard way.” He framed these principles by using themes drawn from “The Wizard of Oz.” 

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“The core message of 'The Wizard of Oz' is that all individuals possess the strength, the intelligence and the courage they seek,” Koncelik said. “They only have to believe in themselves to overcome their challenges.”

Koncelik challenged graduates to prioritize critical thinking, lifelong learning, empathy and resilience throughout their careers. Drawing on personal experiences, including battling malignant melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to care for patients and working in the emergency room during major hurricanes, Koncelik emphasized the importance of perseverance and self-care in medicine.

“Dealing with adversity will help emphasize your inner strength, your self-belief and your compassion,” he said.

He also urged graduates to lead with kindness and empathy in every patient interaction, quoting author Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Koncelik told graduates that the yellow brick road in “The Wizard of Oz” “serves as a profound spiritual metaphor” for their path of discovery from tackling life’s challenges to their personal growth and finding hope.

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Student speaker Jonathan Peters shared many of the same themes while reflecting on graduates’ medical school journey and the life experiences that shaped them long before they entered medicine.

“Medical school is, in many ways, a shared experience — a curriculum, a set of rotations, a common standard to meet,” said Peters, who served as Heritage College Student Government Association president on the Dublin campus and the college’s national S.G.A. representative. “But what truly distinguishes this class is not just the exams we passed or even where we matched — it is the lives we lived before we ever put on the white coat.”

Peters, who will begin a general surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, reflected on the many identities and experiences classmates brought with them into medicine.

“Before we were student doctors, we were teachers, pharmacists, social workers, yoga instructors, EMTs, advocates and members of the military,” he said. “We were and still are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. We have been shaped by countless experiences that predate this journey, teaching us resilience, humility, compassion and strength – all of which we leaned on to get us here today.”

He also emphasized the importance of remembering one’s humanity amid the pressures of residency and professional life.

“As we step into residency, there will be new demands, new pressures and new expectations of who we should be,” Peters said. “But in the midst of all of that, we must not forget who we already are. Because that is what will ground us. That is what will sustain us. And ultimately, that is what will make us the best physicians we can be.”

Koncelik concluded his talk by sharing phrases that have guided him throughout his career, such as “expect the unexpected” and “life is what happens when you have other things planned.” Lastly, he told graduates, “Follow the yellow brick road.”

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