Speaker tells Heritage College grads: Don鈥檛 forget why you became doctors

Photo courtesy of: Rich-Joseph Facun/花季传媒 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine花季传媒 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine graduates wave to their loved ones during the 2018 Commencement ceremony May 12 at the Convocation Center.

Addressing the largest-ever class to graduate from the 花季传媒 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Commencement speaker Richard A. 鈥淩ick鈥� Vincent, M.B.A., advised the soon-to-be doctors to avoid letting their empathy erode as physicians by never forgetting the ideals of patient care that initially drew them to medicine. 

鈥淒on鈥檛 lose sight of why you became physicians,鈥� he said during Saturday鈥檚 Heritage College Commencement at the 花季传媒 Convocation Center. 鈥淩emember why you started that journey in the first place.鈥�

Vincent, who recently retired as president and CEO of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, was instrumental in OHF鈥檚 provision over the years of more than $123 million in support for the college, including the transformational Vision 2020 award of $105 million in 2011. He told graduates he was fortunate over his nearly 50-year career to be able to indulge his passion for advancing osteopathic medicine. 鈥淚 believe it may have been my destiny to work on your behalf,鈥� he said.

Vincent also advised graduating Heritage College students to find their moral compass as physicians and to practice humility; to treat patients as they would wish themselves and their families to be treated; to take care of themselves in body, mind and spirit; and finally, to 鈥渁long the way, have some fun.鈥�

Saturday鈥檚 Commencement, the 39th for the medical college, was a landmark in that the 178 graduates include the first 48 from its Dublin campus, which opened in 2014. Next year will see the first graduates from the Heritage College campus in Cleveland, which launched the following year.

Heritage College, Dublin, Dean William Burke, D.O., a 1988 alumnus, told the Dublin cohort that they will 鈥渁lways hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for believing without seeing, as you applied for a medical school campus that was still being developed.鈥�

Graduating student Brandon Arehart, 2018 class president at the Heritage College, Dublin, offered his classmates career guidance from the words of both movie pugilist Rocky Balboa 鈥� 鈥淚t ain鈥檛 about how hard you hit. It鈥檚 about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward鈥� 鈥� and Dr. Seuss, who advised, 鈥淭here's no limit to how much you'll know, depending how far beyond zebra you go.鈥� Great physicians, Arehart suggested, are those who go beyond zebra: 鈥淭hey go beyond the X鈥檚 and O鈥檚 in their scientific playbook鈥� They don鈥檛 just treat. They heal.鈥�

花季传媒 President M. Duane Nellis, Ph.D., told the graduates, 鈥淚 firmly believe that your work will make a real difference in the lives of those you serve.鈥�

Heritage College Executive Dean and OHIO Chief Medical Affairs Officer Ken Johnson, D.O., praised the students for their hard work and professionalism, adding that 鈥淚t is you, the class of 2018, that will lead the transformation of patient care and carry forward the rich traditions of our college and our profession. I have no doubt that you are totally up to the challenge!鈥�

Johnson noted that the college鈥檚 valued traditions include its strength in producing primary care physicians who practice in Ohio. About 47 percent of the Heritage College class of 2018 will be doing residencies in primary care fields and about 62 percent of the class will be staying in Ohio for their residencies. The class also includes the first four graduates of a D.O./M.B.A. dual degree program, and 13 members who are pursuing careers as military physicians, who were recognized during Saturday鈥檚 ceremony.

Photo courtesy of: Rich-Joseph Facun/花季传媒 Heritage College of Osteopathic MedicineRichard A. 鈥淩ick鈥� Vincent delivers this year鈥檚 花季传媒 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Commencement address.

Photo courtesy of: Rich-Joseph Facun/花季传媒 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine花季传媒 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine graduates pose for a photo following the May 12 Commencement ceremony.