In 2014, when he was the keynote speaker at the White Coat Ceremony for the medical school’s inaugural Class of 2018, Dr. Alan Shapiro ended his address with a request – to be asked back to WMed when the students graduated as new doctors.
He got his wish and on May 13, Dr. Shapiro, senior medical director of Community Pediatric Programs at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York and co-founder and medical director of Terra Firma: Healthcare and Justice, returned to Kalamazoo to deliver the Class of 2018 Commencement address at Miller Auditorium.
“It’s a privilege to be able to have had the career that I have had and be able to impart some of the lessons I’ve learned to the graduating students,” Dr. Shapiro said. “(WMed) is a very special place. What couldn’t be cooler than to be invited back four years later?
“That’s incredible.”
The words he wrote for his commencement differed from those he delivered to the students in 2014. Still, the message was similar, emphasizing the importance and necessity of humanism in medicine.
He implored the 48 new doctors in the Class of 2018 to take an active role in addressing ongoing health inequities, to be vocal advocates for their patients, their patients’ families and the communities where they live and work.
“We all go into medicine for different reasons,” Dr. Shapiro told the students. “My ask of you today is not why you went into medicine but what values you will bring into your practice. Will you fight inequities, will you be on the front lines, will you use your power as a physician to change the system so that everyone can have access to quality, affordable healthcare? I’m hoping you will.”
Dr. Shapiro encouraged WMed’s first MD graduates to hone their listening skills and strive to be active listeners and observers. He also told them that practicing humanism in medicine will require them to be aware of their own biases, to understand them and work diligently to bridge that gap to effect positive outcomes for their patients.
Dr. Shapiro reminded the students in the Class of 2018 of the “growing body of evidence” related to the effects of stress on human health and he told them that two key concepts they will need to constantly be thinking about are adverse childhood experiences of their patients, as well as social determinants of health.
“You will be a part of the revolution,” he said. “You can push new ideas, you can think out of the box, and you should, but always keep in mind the role we physicians have to end health inequities and fight for social justice no matter where you practice or what field you go into. Oftentimes, we feel powerless to change what we see.
“I like to reverse that and say that it might be that we just don’t recognize the power we have. Your MD confers enormous power and can be used to change the world.”
As he closed his commencement address, Dr. Shapiro reminded the students of the importance of taking care of themselves, of being mindful of their own health.
“Take good care of yourselves,” he said. “There’s nothing more precious than your own health and well-being.”
Later, Dr. Shapiro said he was honored to receive the opportunity to deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2018. He said that as he prepared for the event, he worried about writing and delivering a good address, about crafting words that the students could take with them as they begin their journey as new doctors.
He said he was given important advice prior to his address: “They might not remember what you said but how you made them feel.”
As he gathered with the students and their families after the commencement, he said the feedback he received left him confident that his words had inspired the students.
He was especially moved when some of the students and parents told him, “We completely remember what you said (at the White Coat Ceremony) and you said it even better this time!”
“I was on such a high when I left for home,” Dr. Shapiro said. “I called my mother from the airport to wish her a happy Mother’s Day and to tell her how inspired I was by the next generation going into medicine. I also told her she could see my address on the social media of her choice …not that she doubted for a second I was in Kalamazoo!”
Dr. Shapiro said he hopes he will be invited back soon.