Message from Maria C. Savoia, MD
Dean, Medical Education
May 2012
As we near the end of our academic year, the 119 members of our graduating class are saying their good-byes and preparing to enter the next phase of their careers. The halls of our new Medical Education-Telemedicine Center are filled for the first time with that exhilarating blend of excitement, anticipation, relief, and just a little bit of sadness that we experience this time every year.
The celebrations began at Match Day in March (http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/features/march_matchness/ ). As always, emotions ran the gamut, from anxiety and apprehension, to the joyful cheers and tears that accompany the opening of the envelopes. We all remember that day, as will our class of 2012 -- students like Melanie Aiken, a 41-year-old, single mother of three daughters, ages 7, 12 and 14, who had long dreamed of this moment. Born in Chula Vista and raised in Sacramento, she graduated as high school valedictorian at age 16. As she explained, “I always wanted to go to medical school, but life was tough when I was young. We were practically destitute.” Fast forward to March 13, 2012, when, following years of sacrifice culminating in the decision to sell her house, quit her job as a middle school science teacher and pursue her dream, she and her family learned that she had matched with UCSD’s very competitive anesthesiology program.
And there is Anshu Abhat, who entered UCSD as a medical scholar, beginning with four years of undergraduate studies, followed by four at the School of Medicine. She is a member of the inaugural class of the PRIME-Health Equity program, which emphasizes a multicultural, multidisciplinary approach to patient care, research and advocacy, focused on medically underserved communities. Along with her medical degree, Abhat earned a master’s from the Harvard School of Public Health. She is heading to the University of Washington, one of her top choices.
We wish all of our graduates the very best, and we look forward to staying in touch and hearing about their progress. Fully 25 percent of our students matched for programs at UC San Diego, for part or all of their training; 70 percent will remain in California. And we know they will follow in the footsteps of all of our remarkable alumni, whose diverse careers and noteworthy accomplishments make us so proud. In fact, on June 3, 2012, Commencement Day, our graduates will be inspired by keynote speaker Dr. Judith L. Swain, SOM Class of ’74. We look forward to a wise and witty address from one of our own, and hope many of you will be able to join us to applaud our newest group of MDs.
