Notes from the President -- Traditions

Graduations are always bittersweet events.  With academic programs lasting from 1 to 4+ years, deep bonds develop between faculty, staff, and students.  What we call the “Loma Linda Experience” is often hard to leave behind. And while there are always a few students that get featured at events, most impressive are the many who have mastered all the requirements and are now ready to move out to conquer the world. 

Loma Linda does graduations well.  With multiple programs over several weeks, we recognize graduates' accomplishments, whether academic, research, leadership, or marriages and kids, from each of our eight schools.  The four combined baccalaureate programs are all in the University Church, a building that has become special to our students over the years.  Commencements start outside under our special tent structure on the first weekend for our Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry. 

But by two weeks later, for our second graduation weekend, the heat drives us inside to the Drayson Center for our other five schools – Allied Health Professions, Public Health, Behavioral Health, Nursing, and Religion. 

We have 1,476 graduating this year, a few with two degrees, and 83 with certificates of some kind.  There are 78 finishing with an AS degree and 291 with a bachelor’s of science degree, primarily in nursing, dental hygiene and some of the allied health programs.  We have 13 different master’s degrees with 453 graduates this year.  And finally, there are 571 graduating with doctoral degrees.  There are 11 different doctoral programs at Loma Linda University, with the three biggest being medicine, dentistry, and physical therapy. 

One of our graduations that I am especially proud of this year is not on campus at all, at least not on the Loma Linda campus.  It is the first graduation at our San Bernardino Campus, celebrating 35 young people who are graduating from our San Manuel Gateway College.  Twelve of these are from our first academic program, Medical Assistant, with another 23 who finished a basic program as Community Health Workers, or Promotores.  I wish I could tell you the stories of all the hardships and challenges these young people have overcome to get to this point.  Often carrying huge family, social, and financial burdens, they have persisted against all odds. 

So as they received their diplomas June 7 in their specially ordered academic regalia, there were both tears and joy, pride and concern, as they now move out to conquer the world with their newly developed skills.  As Arwyn Wild, Executive Director of the College, often says, the biggest challenge is teaching the “soft skills” of self-confidence and social ease.  To have each one shake hands firmly and look you in the eye with new hope and expectation is a reward indeed.

One of my biggest regrets as I have been pulled deeper and deeper into administration is that I have less time to personally get acquainted with our students.  To counter that a bit, I am going on my first SIMS trip in many years with a group of 40 students, faculty, and alumni to Jengre Hospital in northern Nigeria.  From June 15 to 23 we will run clinics, treat the Fulani tribe’s cattle and goats, finish construction of a private ward, conduct Vacation Bible Schools, hold hospital board meetings, and enjoy fellowship with over 160 local colleagues who will be working with us.  We expect to revitalize this rural hospital started by Dr. Sherman Nagel (School of Medicine Class of 1940) in 1947.  It anchors this community in a part of Nigeria that bridges both Christian and Muslim communities.  But equally important, we will be creating “teachable moments” for our faculty and students by confronting real human need and searching deep in our own souls for how best to respond.

As I wrote this, I was on my way back from a quick trip to Haiti.  We spent a day with a small group of our graduates and their local colleagues brainstorming on how to strengthen our little hospital in a country awash in poverty and challenges.  The issues are complex and involve people, culture, money and inertia to change.  But the spirit is strong and progress is being made.  As is their custom, we gathered together Friday evening in one of our staff’s humble homes and sang together to the strumming of several guitars.  The spirit of mission and commitment among alumni like this, literally around the world, always moves me to gratitude and the utmost respect.  They are Loma Linda in action - Loma Linda at its best. 

Cordially yours,

Richard Hart, MD, DrPH
President, Loma Linda University Health

P.S. To learn more about how we are strengthening our programs to educate health professionals who are deeply committed to compassionate care and focused on treating the whole person, please visit the Vision 2020 website.