Burrell College graduates 134 new doctors

Friday, May 5, 134 students in the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine officially became doctors. The commencement ceremony, where students received their Doctorates of Osteopathic Medicine, took place at the Pan-American Center.

John Hummer, president of the College, delivered welcome remarks, and said, “I cannot help but recall the amazing fact that as a Class, you came into your studies just months before the arrival of a global pandemic, where the world was filled with uncertainty and the healthcare industry was stretched beyond its limit. Medical school is an immense challenge. Add on the dire circumstance humanity was faced with in 2020, and it is a feat unlike any other. Despite this, you persisted. Despite this, you succeeded!”

The students, along with their families and friends, celebrated graduation from medical school, donning their regalia and processing through the fanfare from all sides of the arena.

Bill Pieratt, DO, dean of the College, presented the Class of 2023 for the conferral of degrees. He also led the graduates in reciting the Osteopathic Oath, where students restated their pledge to provide empathetic, expert care to all their future patients.

This year’s keynote speaker was William Baker, DO, a Las Cruces native who followed his father, Lory Baker, DO, into medicine, to care for generations of Las Cruces families.

Dr. Baker is active in the community and has served as the team physician for New Mexico State University since 1990 and was inducted into the New Mexico State University’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. Baker told the class, “I found my dream 43 years ago and I am still following it. It may not be what I thought it would be when I started, but it has been good for me. I hope all of you find your dream, but in the words of a Rolling Stones song, “You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.”