By Susan Gonsalves, Correspondent

WORCESTER Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice encouraged University of Massachusetts Medical School graduates to be what our nation needs, during the 44th annual commencement exercises on Sunday afternoon.

A total of 253 degrees were conferred in the School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Graduate School of Nursing.

Dr. Rice, the first woman to serve as president and dean of Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and a renowned infertility specialist and researcher, spoke about the challenges the physicians, scientists and nurses would face in the current political climate, and emphasized the need for them to create and advance health equity.

She noted that 23 million additional people would be without health insurance in 2026 and a total of 51 million people under 65 wouldnt have coverage if the Affordable Care Act is replaced. The National Institute of Healths medical research would be cut by 22 percent down to $26 million.

Adding that there will continue to be a physician shortage, Dr. Rice said that these factors are among the mix of opportunities and challenges, that the graduates would have to face.

How will you contribute? How will your contribution benefit (others)?

The commencement speaker said that with every patient that comes in, the medical professionals must ask themselves, whats possible? and realize that access is not enough and is just the start and not the end.

Dr. Rice said that care should not be determined by someone elses definition of all. All actually means all.

Previously, Dr. Rice was the founder and director of the Center for Womens Health Research at Meharry Medical College, one of the nations first research centers devoted to studying diseases that disproportionately affect women of color.

During her nearly 40-minute address, Dr. Rice also focused on the importance of getting to know the specific circumstances of each patient as you bear witness to the most intimate moments of peoples lives such as their first tooth, first steps after a tragic event or the discovery of a tumor.

Listen intensely to their fears as they prepare for that next step, she said. Some will challenge you. Some will invigorate you to new heights. Theyll remind you why you chose this path.

She added, Every day, ask yourself, 'what can I do to make a difference?' There will be challenges. Dig deep for resilience, motivation and grit. Find joy, fill it and allow it to wash over you.

In addition to Dr. Rice, Victor Grifols, humanitarian and businessman, and Dr. Patricia Donahoe, a pediatric surgeon and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and faculty member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, received honorary degrees.

Chancellor Michael F. Collins presided over the ceremony, noting that no wall, would deter anyone from being welcomed into the schools community.

He encouraged graduates to hold the hands, of those whose care is entrusted to them, perform simple acts of kindness and never forget the poor, voiceless and vulnerable.

Before the ceremony, several students offered comments about their future paths.

Kasey Hebert of Greenfield, graduating from the School of Medicine said that she would be staying in the area for her residency at UMass Memorial as an OB/GYN. She called her UMass experience amazing, and wants to continue her training in this environment.

Joseph Young of Shrewsbury, also a new medical degree recipient, will have his residency in orthopedic surgery at Albany Medical Center.

I couldnt have asked for a better experience, he said of his time at the medical school. Everything was great and the faculty is outstanding.

Tyler Mehegan and Alexander Boardman, both of Duxbury, are also School of Medicine graduates, both specializing in internal medicine. Friends since the age of 10, Dr. Mehegan will go on to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston while his friend will work nearby at Brigham and Womens Hospital.

Brian Quattrochi of Groveland is a recipient of a Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy degree who will continue his pathology residency at Brigham and Womens Hospital as well.

He said that he decided to attend UMass Medical because of its expansive research in pancreatic cancer led by Dr. Brian Lewis, associate professor of molecular medicine and a leader in the field of cancer genetics.

Receiving masters degrees of nursing in acute care are Naomi Pappas of New Bedford and Anthony Bueno of Norton. Both plan careers in intensive care units, she at Charlton Hospital in Fall River and he at a location to be determined following some time off.

Both praised the faculty with Ms. Pappas noting that all the instructors are current practitioners in the field, which is not always the case.

Mr. Quattrochi added that the school offers a lot of hands on opportunities in itssimulation lab that students may not get somewhere else.

The following is a list of graduates.

Graduate School of Nursing

Master of Science

Belchertown:Lynn Arthur

Gardner:Amanda Jean Murray*

Grafton:Natalia Krzyzanowski*

Hopedale:Hannah Mitchell*

Hubbardston:Christina Lynn Janssens*

Leicester:Elizabeth Kaylin Moorghen*

Leominster:Heather L. Beckner*

Marlboro:Lauren Philbrick

Milford:Stephanie Salvi*

Northbridge:Kathryn Elizabeth DiFiore

Oxford:Chantelle LaMountain*

Paxton:Krystina Mary Habib*

Sharon:Jamie Noelle Reid*

Shrewsbury:Kaileigh Lavin*, Joana Sun*

Westboro:Jessica Marie Ashman*

Westminster:Kimberly Lyn Marsh*

Whitinsville:Susan Clare Emmerling*

Worcester:Alicia M. Filewicz*, Stephany Boafo Gyasi*, Rebecca Ogembo, James Quaicoe, Estela Trebicka*, Ana Ronderos*, Briana Karen Wise*

*Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Paxton:Mary Margaret Fortunato-Habib*

Upton:Stephanie M. Colman-Brochu*

Worcester:Kathleen Marie Kasper*

*Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

Leicester:Helen M. Flaherty*

Marlboro: Susan OHara Sullivan*

Worcester:Akwasi Agyemang Duah

*Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Master of Science in Clinical Investigation

Harvard:Patricia Anne McQuilkin, MD

Doctor of Philosophy

Holden:Michael Ian Carr

Lunenburg:Melissa Guildford Derner

Shrewsbury:Meetu Seth

Worcester:Navonil Banerjee, Samantha Grace Palace, Ozlem Senol-Cosar

Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy

Worcester:Kasmir Ramo

School of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine

Auburn:Daniel PatrickLindstrom

Belchertown:Gregory Edward Keefe*

Grafton:Amrit Vaidyanath Vinod*, Taylor Robert Young

Harvard:Naomi Elka Malam

Leicester:Andrew Dowd (g)

Leominster:Kristen Richard

Marlboro: Guyu Du, Christina Anastasia Kunycky

Millbury:Michael Patrick Flynn

Oxford:Sarah Elizabeth McGowan

Princeton:Solange Bayard (g)(a)

Shrewsbury: Caroline Jane Royer (g)(a)(b), John C. Sooy Jr., Joseph Russell Young

Ware:Rayna Lin Trietsch

Westboro: Matthew RossSpring*

Worcester:Patrick Jos Alvarado, Rebecca Katherine Angoff*, Zachary Christo Demma, Arielle Ann Filiberti (b), Nicole J. Koulisis (a), Dongqi Liu, Courtney Marie Temple (g)

* Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society

(g)Gold Humanism Honor Society Recognition by their peers as exemplars of humanism

(a)Serving Underserved Multicultural Populations Pathway

(b) Rural Health Scholars Pathway

(c) Clinical and Translational Research Pathway -Pathway students, selected after a competitive application process, are responsible for completing additional curricular requirements above-and-beyond their four-year medical degree program.

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Doctor calls on UMass Med School grads to find contribution - Worcester Telegram