Graduation Season 2019 is underway and the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology has set the bar high for all the other divisions and fellowship programs in the department.
On a sunny Saturday evening, with a view of the nearly complete north end of Kinnick Stadium, friends, family, and colleagues gathered to congratulate four individuals who have completed three years of intense training.
After mingling and sampling appetizers, some more formal group photographs were arranged to document this moment in the division’s history. Guests then were treated to a delicious meal provided by university catering.
As the last crumbs of dessert were cleaned from plates, fellowship director Adrian Holm, DO, took on the role of evening emcee. Holm provided a long list of thanks from members of his own family to his assistant director Mariam Naveed, MD; David Elliott, MD, PhD, division director; division administrator Robert Jones; and division coordinator Hilary Humphrey, among others.
Holm then introduced the fellows to the audience, including some little-known facts about each of them, and offering a special gift that showed them how much they were seen and appreciated by the division. Deb Beadle, RN, MSN, had some words of congratulation and appreciation of her own and presented them each with a personalized banner.
Holm also recognized the contribution that Naveed had made to the program and wished the departing colleague well in her next appointment. Naveed offered her own good-bye and let the fellows and her colleagues know just how much they have all meant to her. Finally, in his final role as their educator, Holm then offered some words of advice to the fellows on their future and how best to navigate the challenges ahead.
Then it was the fellows’ turn to respond. First they announced the winner of the memorial Dr. Robert Summers Teaching Award and presented Arvind Murali, MBBS, with a certificate and their gratitude for his patience and generosity. Then they screened a short satiric film they produced, lightly roasting a few faculty members.
At its conclusion, the evening’s formal program was complete, but guests lingered for a while after, posing for a few more photographs and saying just a few more good-byes.
Congratulations to this year’s graduates and best wishes on your future endeavors!
Nancy Gupta, MBBS
Jagpal Klair, MBBS
Rahman Nakshabendi, MBBS
James Vancura, DO
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