Medical Reunion celebrates community in a milestone year

On Saturday, the annual Brown Medical Alumni Association (BMAA) Awards ceremony recognized alumni for their service, leadership, and innovation in medicine. Liza Aguiar ’04 MD’08 RES’13 hosted the celebration, welcoming fellow board members, awardees, and guests with words of gratitude. This year, the work of honorees spanned advocacy, clinical care, education, and the arts. From notes of nostalgia and reflections on their time in medical school to poignant acknowledgments of health care’s ongoing challenges, awardees showcased the strength and spirit of the Medical School. 

Read more about the BMAA awards and learn about this year’s ceremony.

In 1975, the first graduating class of The Warren Alpert Medical School marked their commencement and set off to begin their careers as physicians across the country. For their 50th Reunion this year, more than 60% of the class returned to where it all began. From the outside looking in, it was as if no time had passed at all—classmates greeted each other with hugs and handshakes.

For some, it was the first time they had been in The Medical School at 222 Richmond Street since the new building opened in 2011. Those who attended the student-guided tour of the building were able to see firsthand how far the facilities for Brown medical students have come since their humbler beginnings in the basement of the BioMedical Center on College Hill. 

Bonnie Saks ’72 MD’75 reflected on the weekend, saying, “I am so inspired to see Brown’s medical school growing even stronger with the same passion and caring spirit from which it began.”

Dean Jain heralded the class as “trailblazers and pioneers who helped build the very foundation we now stand on.” 

Over the weekend, the class enjoyed a full schedule of activities, including a luncheon where they shared stories and memorialized their classmates who have passed on. 

A standout moment of the weekend was the Ruth B. Sauber Distinguished Medical Alumni Lecture, an event that underscores medicine as a socially responsible human service profession. This year’s lecture was delivered by Glenn Mitchell ’67 ScM’69 MD’75, a member of the 50th Reunion class. 

During his talk, “A Lived Life: Reflecting on a 50-Year Career in Medicine,” Dr. Mitchell recounted the unexpected turns and defining moments that shaped his career, and the enduring impact of his connection to Brown. “I’m forever grateful to Brown for embracing a lost, first-generation undergraduate, recognizing a late bloomer, and the unwavering acceptance of my unusual, non-linear career path.”

It was an “all together” moment at the Medical Alumni Class Dinner on Saturday evening where classes from 1975 to 2020 spent time with friends, both old and new. 

Cathia Rene ’96 MD’00 returned to Providence for the first time in 25 years and reflected on how much time had passed since she had been in the northeast. “I look at my time spent here as my coming-of-age years,” she said. “What I didn’t notice at the time was that Providence was coming of age at this time, too. To come back and see how the city has flourished has been wonderful.”  

Come Sunday morning, the sun broke through the clouds to welcome the Class of 2025, their families, and alumni to College Hill for the Commencement Procession—the pinnacle event of the weekend. Leading Procession for the Medical School was Kavita Ernst ’96 MD’00, who was celebrating her 25th Reunion and serving as chief marshal, proudly carrying the caduceus staff.

Throughout the three days of gatherings and events, Dean Jain’s community celebration remarks about the weekend were ringing ever true. “It brings together a constellation of our students, alumni, faculty, families, and friends,” said Jain. “It’s a moment to reflect, reconnect, and rejoice in all that makes this community so exceptional.”

Photo credits:  David DelPoio, Nick Dentamaro, Adam Mastoon