MU School of Medicine to Hold Virtual Commencement Ceremony

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the University of Missouri School of Medicine will hold a virtual commencement celebration instead of a traditional graduation at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 16. All speakers will be recorded in advance, and an edited commencement video will be posted for students and their families to watch as they celebrate at home.

“I wish I could be there to shake your hand and say well done,” said Steven Zweig, MD, MSPH, dean of the medical school. “Your education here will endure; you are now part of a long legacy of MU School of Medicine graduates. But your contribution will be unique – and we eagerly await seeing how you impact the lives of your patients and the future of medicine.”

This year’s commencement speaker is Debra Howenstine, MD, associate professor of family and community medicine at the MU School of Medicine.

“We are excited to have this virtual commencement for our graduates,” said Laine Young-Walker, MD, associate dean for student programs at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. “It’s a great opportunity to celebrate each of our students and to give them a permanent video to take with them on their career journey. We will miss you all.”

Members of the Class of 2020 were in high demand — 99% received a residency program match, meaning many hospitals and health systems chose graduating MU medical students as their top candidates.

Ten class members spent the last two years at the Springfield Clinical Campus. The Springfield location was established in June 2016 in partnership with CoxHealth and Mercy health systems.

After receiving their medical degrees on Saturday, these physicians will go on to receive additional residency training in their chosen specialties. About 20% of the class will stay at MU Health Care for residency, 33% will remain in Missouri and 38% matched in high-need care fields.

Graduates of the MU School of Medicine consistently score higher than the national average on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). MU School of Medicine graduates are trained, evaluated and expected to be competent in their ability to deliver patient-centered care, including their capability to communicate with the patient, family members and colleagues working as part of an interdisciplinary team.