The tears flowed almost as freely as the thank-yous at Friday night’s graduation ceremony for residents and fellows in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery.
Held at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the event was a night of gratitude, fond memories, and excitement for the future. It was an annual rite of passage where mentees became colleagues, dreams became reality, and longtime friends prepared to say farewell before they depart for further medical training or to begin their careers.
“They have all worked extremely hard, learned much, and taken excellent care of our patients,” Richard Schulick, MD, MBA, chair of surgery in the CU Department of Surgery, said of the graduates. “They are academically accomplished and have even started honing their teaching skills.”
Looking back
Among those graduates was general surgery resident Kiran Dyamenahalli, MD, PhD, whom presenter Nicole Christian, MD, assistant professor of surgical oncology, described as “one of the most intentional and deep-thinking residents we have ever had in this program.”
Dyamenahalli, who will continue his training with fellowships in surgical critical care and burn surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said he has been at the CU School of Medicine for the past 15 years, receiving his MD and PhD prior to starting his residency.
“It’s an understatement to say these have been some of the most formative years of my life,” he said. Not only did he receive his medical training, but “I started a family and cultivated interests and skills beyond medicine. Every one of my professional aspirations has been influenced by my time in Colorado.”
General surgery resident Kiran Dyamenahalli, MD, PhD, poses with Nicole Christian, MD, and Mark Nehler, MD.
The graduates thanked parents and other family members, as well as faculty members and their fellow residents and fellows, as they each took a brief moment in the spotlight to commemorate their years of hard work in the CU Department of Surgery.
“It’s been a long eight years,” Abhinav Singh, MD, a pediatric surgical critical care fellow who is readying to move to New York to become a trauma acute care surgeon, told his fellow graduates. “You all are an amazing group who have contributed to me being a much better provider.”
General surgery resident Kathleen Grace Turner, MD, echoed that sentiment, calling her time as a resident a life-changing experience. “I will never forget my time here,” she said.
Recognizing excellence
The ceremony also included the presentation of several awards for research, scholarship, and professionalism, including the Golden Apple Teacher of the Year Resident Award, this year presented to Robert Torphy, MD, PhD, who completed a general surgery residency and will continue his training as a fellow in complex surgical oncology at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
In the nomination for this award, Torphy's peers noted, “He is fun and easy to get along with. He really put me at ease, and he always advocated for his patient to receive proper care.”
General surgery resident Robert Torphy, MD, PhD, poses with Khama Jaiswal, MD, after winning the Golden Apple Award.
Schulick praised the departing residents and fellows for completing their training despite the limitations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a very resourceful group of graduates who are ready to tackle anything,” he said.
