Students celebrate 2019 Military Commissioning on USS Wisconsin
EVMS graduates who will serve in the military forces took the oath of office during a commissioning ceremony on Thursday, May 16.
Fifteen students took part in the ceremony for their promotions in the Air Force, Army and Navy.
“We are proud of the fact that the world’s largest naval base sits in our backyard,” says Richard Homan, MD, President and Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine. “We are also proud of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Marine presence in our region and welcome all military personnel and their families.”
The communities that make up the Hampton Roads region collectively support 18 military installations (including two joint bases), all four branches of the military services and the Coast Guard and approximately 125,000 active-duty, reserve and civilian personnel.
Captain Christopher Culp, Commanding Officer at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, was the keynote speaker.
Among those commissioned today were three Physician Assistant students, four Master of Public Health students and eight School of Medicine students.
“PAs in the military are often found in primary-care clinics providing care to active-duty members, their dependents, and retirees. But they can also be found in hospitals, specialty clinics, and providing care in deployed environments,” says Dr. Kim Dempsey, PhD, MPA, PA-C (MPA ’03), Director of the Physician Assistant program. “The collaborative practice and role flexibility of PAs make them a valuable medical resource for commanders who must assemble teams of providers who can care for military personnel in a variety of settings and environments.”
The full commencement ceremony takes place Saturday, May 17, at 10 a.m.
See all of the Military Commissioning photos: