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Cyclists ride in the rain to benefit Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity

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Board thanks Fine Arts Fiesta volunteers with dinner at Rodano’s

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; At commencement exercises for a local medical school Sunday, the overarching theme was all about new beginnings, for both the recent graduates and for the school itself.</p><p>Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine held its commencement at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, marking the eighth class of Master of Biomedical Sciences students and the fifth class Doctor of Medicine students for the school. Sixty-nine master&#8217;s students and 87 doctoral students received their degrees.</p><p>The medical school, based in Scranton, was previously known as The Commonwealth Medical College, or TCMC. This year is the first under the new name after a partnership was struck with Geisinger.</p><p>After a procession set to &#8220;Pomp and Circumstance,&#8221; Monsignor Joseph Quinn offered an invocation. In it, he told the medical students that they are God&#8217;s &#8220;privileged instruments of divine healing.&#8221;</p><p>A general welcome was offered by Dr. Steven Scheinman, president and dean of the school. He called the past school year a &#8220;remarkable year of accomplishment,&#8221; and recognized a variety of individuals who were involved in the day&#8217;s success, ranging from the school&#8217;s faculty and staff, hospitals serving as clinical partners for the school and the family members that came out to support the area&#8217;s newest doctors.</p><p>Robert Dietz, chair of the school&#8217;s board of directors, told students that their education has differed from that of other medical schools because their education focused on two things above all: caring and community.</p><p>Dr. David T. Feinberg, president and CEO of Geisinger Health System, also spoke, recalling his own graduation and saying how proud his family was of him.</p><p>&#8220;This is a new beginning, for you and for the school,&#8221; Feinberg told the students. He went on to say that he was &#8220;excited to build a legacy together&#8221; with the new graduates.</p><p>Scheinman gave a more personal address to the crowd. He said that the college is &#8220;young enough that every class is historic,&#8221; with this year&#8217;s historic event being marked by the graduating students being the first to have the name &#8220;Geisinger&#8221; on their diploma.</p><p>&#8220;We may have changed our name, but we will always be TCMC, as in &#8216;this community&#8217;s medical college,&#8217;&#8221; Scheinman said.</p><p>The commencement address was offered by Dr. Deborah E. Powell, dean emerita and professor of laboratory medicine and pathology for the University of Minnesota. In her address, Powell framed her advice to students with Dr. Seuss&#8217; poem, &#8220;Oh, the Places You&#8217;ll Go!&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;You&#8217;re entering the career of medicine in a time of amazing scientific discovery,&#8221; Powell told graduates, even admitting that she is a bit envious of the opportunities the grads will have.</p><p>After the degrees were conferred, Scheinman led the students in reciting the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine&#8217;s oath, based on the tradition of doctors saying the Hippocratic Oath at the beginning of their medical career.</p><p>In their oath, the newly made doctors vowed to &#8220;cure sometimes, relieve often and comfort always.&#8221;</p><p>In Scheinman&#8217;s closing remarks, he challenged students to &#8220;never think of any patient as a routine case&#8221; and to &#8220;really care <em>for</em> your patients,&#8221; not to just take care <em>of</em> them.</p><p>Rabbi Peg Kershenbaum gave a closing benediction. She told the graduates to look to God for their &#8220;inspiration and support,&#8221; but also kept her benediction short, telling the new doctors she wouldn&#8217;t take too much of their time, as long as they &#8220;return the favor to patients in their waiting rooms.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Steven J. Scheinman, president and dean of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, addresses the graduating class of 2017 during commencement ceremonies Sunday at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-4.jpg</photo0><caption0>Steven J. Scheinman, president and dean of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, addresses the graduating class of 2017 during commencement ceremonies Sunday at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre. </caption0><photoCredit0>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Deborah E. Powell, MD the honorary degree recipient, gets vested with her hood after her presentation. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-6.jpg</photo1><caption1>Deborah E. Powell, MD the honorary degree recipient, gets vested with her hood after her presentation. </caption1><photoCredit1>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Class of 2017 student Ghmar Bitar starts off the 2017 Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine commencement by singing the National Anthem. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Class of 2017 student Ghmar Bitar starts off the 2017 Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine commencement by singing the National Anthem. </caption2><photoCredit2>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-7.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pamela Lucchesi PhD, FAHA, a professor of Psychology makes a joke as she&#8217;s trying to hood Alfred Hamilton III of Montgomery, Alabama alongside Gregory Shanower, PhdDirector of Master of Biomedical Sciences Program and Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology during the 2017 commencement ceremony. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-7.jpg</photo3><caption3>Pamela Lucchesi PhD, FAHA, a professor of Psychology makes a joke as she&#8217;s trying to hood Alfred Hamilton III of Montgomery, Alabama alongside Gregory Shanower, PhdDirector of Master of Biomedical Sciences Program and Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology during the 2017 commencement ceremony. </caption3><photoCredit3>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Geisinger Commonwelth School of Medicine holds it&#8217;s 2017 commencement ceremony at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ttl050817medicinecommencement-2.jpg</photo4><caption4>The Geisinger Commonwelth School of Medicine holds it&#8217;s 2017 commencement ceremony at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre Sunday afternoon. </caption4><photoCredit4>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6119 or on Twitter @PatKernan.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine graduates first class under new name