University of Cincinnati College of Medicine celebrates Class of 2025 at Honors Day

Honors Day commemorates the culmination of years of academic rigor, clinical training and personal growth for students earning their Doctor of Medicine degrees. The ceremony, rich in tradition and meaning, recognized not only student achievement, but also the mentors, loved ones and communities who supported them along the way.

“Welcome to our celebration of the graduating Class of 2025,” said Gregory C. Postel, MD, dean of the College of Medicine, Christian R. Holmes endowed professor and executive vice president for health affairs at UC. “We are pleased to have our students and so many faculty members, family members and staff members here with us today to help us celebrate this momentous occasion.”

Postel reflected on the unique path of the Class of 2025, who began medical school in 2021 amid the global COVID-19 crisis. “Today’s graduating class began their medical education during one of the most challenging times in the history of medicine,” he said. “Social distancing replaced teamwork. Fear displaced the courage with which we treat disease. Death became a daily experience for those who save lives.”

Despite these obstacles, Postel commended the class for not only enduring, but excelling. “You are emerging as physicians — the newest alumni of our College of Medicine," he said. "And you did not just survive, you thrived.”

He highlighted the remarkable achievements of the class, including a 100% United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 pass rate — surpassing the national average of 98% — and a residency match rate of more than 99%, with students securing placements at some of the most prestigious programs nationwide.

Looking toward the future of medicine, Postel urged graduates to embrace emerging technologies. “Artificial intelligence will not replace you,” he said. “But those of you who do not embrace it eventually will be replaced. AI’s ability to offer more to our patients cannot be overestimated.”

Still, Postel reminded graduates that compassion remains at the heart of the profession. Quoting the college’s founder, Daniel Drake, MD, he said, “There is no profession on earth that calls so loudly for benevolence as our own.”

University of Cincinnati President Neville Pinto, PhD, also delivered remarks, celebrating the accomplishments of the class and the college’s continued legacy of excellence. During the ceremony, Pinto recognized David Michael Warner II, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Graduate Student Excellence — one of only two recipients university-wide this year. Warner was honored for his academic excellence, leadership and community service.

Quoting Warner from an earlier event, Pinto shared, “The most powerful medicine we can offer is spending time at the bedside with our patients and their families.” He added, “This speaks volumes about the deeper calling your faculty have woven into your education. You graduate not only with skill, but with humanity.”

Throughout the ceremony, numerous awards were presented to students and faculty in recognition of teaching, mentorship and humanism in medicine.

Matthew Carlo Bugada received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award alongside faculty honoree Bi A. Awosika, MD, assistant dean and associate professor of internal medicine. The award honors both a graduating student and a faculty member who exemplify clinical excellence and compassion in the care of patients, while demonstrating respect for patients, families and health care colleagues.

Other notable honors included the Gold and Silver Apple Awards for outstanding teaching and the Excellence in Mentoring Awards — reflecting the college’s strong culture of support and educational leadership.

Kamala Elsie Kasturi Nelson received the Stella Feis Hoffheimer Academic Achievement Prize, awarded to the graduate with the highest academic achievement over four years.

David Michael Warner II also received the Medical Alumni Association Outstanding Student Award, selected by the graduating class. The award honors a student who has created and implemented programs for the benefit of the entire student body.

Class speaker Thomas James Calderaro reflected on the journey through medical school and the path ahead. “As physicians, people trust us,” he said. “Because of this trust and the nature of our position, we have the unique ability to advocate for others in a way other professions don’t. We have the ability, and therefore, we have the responsibility.”

Faculty mentors led the ceremonial hoodings, honoring the unique and rigorous path each graduate undertook. Awosika, Dawn S. Bragg, PhD, associate dean for student affairs, and Philip M. Diller, MD-PhD, senior associate dean for educational affairs, led the hooding for Doctor of Medicine degree candidates.

Whitney K. Bryant, MD, MPH, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, led the hooding for MD/MPH graduates. William Zacharias, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and Donald L. Gilbert, MD, professor in the Department of Pediatrics, led the hooding for Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) graduates earning dual MD/PhD degrees. 

A moving military promotion ceremony honored graduates entering military service. Christina Bassette and Mark Eligiusz Bourne were commissioned as officers, symbolizing their dual commitment to medicine and country. Col. Valerie G. Sams, MD, USAF, associate professor in the Department of Surgery, presided over the ceremony.

Prior to the hooding, Bugada led the Class of 2025 in reciting the Oath of Professionalism. As the event drew to a close, Diller led graduates in reciting the Hippocratic Oath, officially marking their transition from student to physician.

Both the Hippocratic Oath and Oath of Professionalism are rooted in the four core principles of clinical ethics: Always seek the best for your patient. Always avoid harming your patients. Respect their independence — it’s their body and decision. Strive for justice in health care. 

In his closing remarks, Postel again congratulated the class and acknowledged the community who supported them along the way.

“I’m confident that all of you will be pursuing careers and achieving goals that will further strengthen the reputation of this fine College of Medicine,” he said. “Congratulations and best wishes.”

With diplomas in hand and bright futures ahead, the Class of 2025 now begins residency training at leading institutions across the country — from UC Health and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt and beyond. As they take their next steps, they carry forward the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s enduring legacy of excellence, innovation and service.

Featured image at top: Gregory C. Postel, MD, executive vice president for health affairs, Christian R. Holmes endowed professor and dean of the College of Medicine gives opening remarks during the UC College of Medicine Honors Day graduation ceremony on Saturday May 3, 2025, at Fifth Third Arena. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II.