CVM Class of 2020 Set for Oath and Hooding

There was no way for anyone to predict the past few months at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine.

But everyone did expect the Class of 2020 to pull through as they have, with the inspiring strength and unity they have always shown during their four years at CVM.

At 6 p.m. May 8, the college will hold its 36th oath and hooding ceremony, graduating the 100-member strong Class of 2020. Faculty, staff, supporters, friends and family — all will still gather to honor our new group of official doctors of veterinary medicine.

This time, though, it will be virtual. Members of the Class of 2020 will soon receive links to the Zoom ceremony. Others will be able to view the proceedings during a livestream on the CVM’s YouTube channel.

While NC State looks forward to celebrating all 2020 graduates, we are happy to at least gather virtually now to honor these new veterinarians. 

This is a class that has endured more than this pandemic. They have coped with the death of a classmate, Samantha Lin, who left us far too soon. Sam will receive a posthumous DVM during the ceremony and her classmates will wear pins in her memory.

This is also a class which valiantly stepped up during two natural disasters that rocked North Carolina: hurricanes Dorian and Florence. They were among the many CVM community members that helped provide needed emergency veterinary services and shelter assistance for those who needed it the most.

 Send Well Wishes to the Class of 2020
Show your support for the Class of 2020 by sending your well wishes to cvmcommunications@ncsu.edu. We will share your messages with the graduating class.

There are other firsts. The Class of 2020 is the first to graduate with 100 members since the college moved to that enrollment number. They are also the first to spend four years under our new House System.

Like other classes, their interests at graduation display the ever-growing reach of veterinary medicine. Forty-five graduates are focused on small animal medicine, and other focuses range from zoological medicine and epidemiology to food animal and equine medicine. They will leave the CVM to launch internships, to conduct impactful research all over the globe and to start veterinary practices in the communities where they grew up.

But before they do, they will gather once more to recite the Veterinarian’s Oath. Yes, it will be online, but the Class of 2020 will still say these words together:

Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.

I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.

I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.

Congratulations, Class of 2020. We’ve never been prouder.

~Jordan Bartel/NC State Veterinary Medicine