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Oakland Walters
  • Class of 2017
  • Manchester, PA

Oakland Walters of Manchester, 86 other members of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Class of 2017, receive doctor of medicine (MD) degrees

2017 May 10

Oakland Walters of Manchester and 86 other members of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (Geisinger Commonwealth) graduating Class of 2017 received doctor of medicine (MD) degrees at a commencement ceremony held Sunday, May 7 at the Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre.

Steven J. Scheinman, M.D. Geisinger Commonwealth's president and dean, welcomed guests and graduates, noting that the Class of 2017 is the first to receive a Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine diploma. Dr. Scheinman observed that person-centeredness is central to the School of Medicine's mission, saying the graduates "Have mastery of all of the tools of your specialty, but also the wisdom and compassion to deploy them thoughtfully and in the interests of what the patient wants." He also reminded the graduates that, "It is a great privilege to be invited into the lives of patients as physicians are. You have earned this degree that we've given you today. But this privilege is something that you have to earn anew every day."

Greetings were offered on behalf of the school's board of directors by the board chair, Mr. Robert Dietz, and on behalf of the Geisinger Health System by its president and CEO, Dr. David Feinberg.

William F. Iobst, M.D., vice president for academic and clinical affairs and vice dean, together with Dr. Scheinman, presented the commencement speaker, Deborah E. Powell, MD, for the honorary doctor of medical arts degree. Dr. Powell is a leader in academic medicine, and currently dean emerita and professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at the University of Minnesota.