Supriya Singh came to Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry wanting to get the most out of the experience.  Now four years later, as she graduates with a Doctor of Medicine degree, she has clearly fulfilled that wish and in the process, established herself as a leader. 
Her list of activities and experiences is extensive and remarkable: she travelled to Tanzania, providing medical aid as part of MedOutreach; organized a meds talent show and an art show; worked with Hospice of London; took on leadership roles for her class council; volunteered at Ark Aid Street Mission; participated in charity runs and sporting events; and coordinated anatomy lab sessions with surgeons (Sugically Oriented Anatomy Prosectors Group –SOAP).  And Supriya plans to continue her Western experience, staying on to complete her residency in Orthopedic Surgery.          
Supriya is one of 169 medical students who will graduate at a special convocation ceremony on Friday, May 16th at Alumni Hall starting at 9:30 a.m. 
In his letter to the Class of 2014, Dean Michael J. Strong told the students, “Being a physician comes with great societal responsibility.  Your class has time and time again demonstrated a true sense of what is needed to be an engaged member of society. You have challenged boundaries, sought avenues to care for those less fortunate and you have spoken out on topics that impact on all of us.  We encourage you to continue this as you become the next generation of leaders.”
Seventy-four graduates have chosen to go into Family Medicine, making it by far the most popular field.  Thirty-four are pursuing Internal Medicine; eight are going into Psychiatry and six each into Emergency Medicine and General Surgery.  The next most popular specialties are: Ophthalmology (three), Plastic Surgery (three) and Dermatology (two).  Sixty-nine of the graduates will be staying at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry for their postgraduate medical education.
During Friday’s ceremony, Jacob Van Dyk, PhD, will be conferred a Doctor of Science, honoris causa (D.Sc.) in recognition of his award-winning teaching career at Western.  Van Dyk is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Oncology, and an Adjunct Professor in Physics and Astronomy at Western.  He is also the Manager of Clinical Physics at London Health Sciences Centre’s Regional Cancer Program. Van Dyk’s research focuses on radiation technology in cancer treatment. He has played a leadership role in academic and professional organizations including the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine, the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Media contact: Kathy Wallis, Media Relations Officer, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 519-661-2111 ext. 81136, c: 519-777-1573, Kathy.wallis@schulich.uwo.ca
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