Anesthesiology

DAPM Class of 2024 Residency Graduation

DAPM Class of 2024 Residency Graduation
July 11, 2024 | Megan Lebre, M.Ed.
 
The 2024 DAPM Residency Graduation was a lively and memorable event. Residency physicians of the Class of 2024 gathered at Covel Commons in UCLA’s Sunset Village on Saturday, June 22, to celebrate this tremendous milestone with their friends, families, and colleagues, as well as DAPM faculty physicians and administrative staff.  
 
After a festive pre-banquet reception, Maxime Cannesson, MD, PhD, DAPM Professor and Chair, welcomed everyone with a speech. 
 
Dr. Cannesson discussed the history of UCLA's participation in the Olympic Games, emphasizing that the University of California is the number one university in the world for the quantity of Olympic medals, with UCLA ranking highest among the UCs. If UCLA was a standalone country, he noted, it would be in the top 20 countries for the number of Olympic medals. He then reflected on the meaning of the four letters: U.C.L.A.
 
“When I walk around the hospital and the operating rooms, and I see you, graduating residents, wearing our Department jackets with these four letters U.C.L.A, right above your heart, what I read is Excellence.”
 
He also encouraged the graduates always to remember the honor and significance of a life in medicine. 
 
“We all chose to be physicians," he said. "We need to always be reminded of the privilege we have earned to serve our patients and their loved ones in some of the most vulnerable times of their existence. This is one of the greatest privileges, but also a great responsibility. 
 
“As you are entering the next phase of your career as independent anesthesiologists, you—​graduating residents—​must never lose sight of what it means to have earned the skills and the knowledge you now have during your training. This is what will give you joy, and this is what will give you the sense that what we do, day in and day out, for our patients, is bigger than ourselves.”
 
Faculty physicians from UCLA, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, and Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, along with the graduation Chief Residents, presented a series of faculty and resident awards for the 2022-23 academic year:
 
Teacher of the Year Award
Lindsay Brown, MD 
 
Excellence in Teaching Award 
Ryan Bakhit, DO, MHS
Colby Tanner, MD
 
Dillon Award
Jane Moon, MD 
Sophia Poorsattar, MD
 
Perioperative Award
Roberto Amavizca
 
Affiliate Teacher of the Year Award
Maryetta Ovsepian, MD – OVMC 
 
Medical Student Educator Award
Jordan Francke, MD
 
Olive View Award
Landon Cohen, MD
Isami Lines, MD
 
Long Beach Award 
Mariana Gomez, MD
 
The graduating Chief Residents—Sara Arastoo, MD, Chase Barker, MD, Mariana Gomez, MD, MBA, and Jennifer Nam, MD, MBA—then passed the torch to the incoming Chiefs—Mark Guirguis, MD, Maegan Lu, MD, Mishan Rambukwella MD, and Sam Snider, MD.   
 
The graduates of the Class of 2024 were then presented by the faculty physicians who had worked closely with them for two consecutive weeks at the start of their clinical anesthesia training. These mentors shared anecdotes about their now seasoned mentees before the graduates walked onstage to receive their diplomas from them, Jack Buckley, MD, Residency Program Director, Christine Myo Bui, MD, Residency Associate Program Director, Judi Turner, MD, PhD, Vice Chair for Education, and Dr. Cannesson. 
 
The evening concluded with a funny and heartwarming video created by faculty physician Michael Wolfe, MD. It showcased appreciative comments for the graduating residents by their junior colleagues.   
 
The graduation was masterfully planned by Dr. Myo Bui and Dr. Buckley and seamlessly executed by the DAPM Education Office administrators—Lucelva “Lucy” Mendez, Residency Program Manager, Areli Gonzalez, Associate Residency Coordinator, Karen Larrañaga, MEd, Residency and Fellowships Didactic Coordinator, and Jennah Varela, Administrative Specialist.