Quillen College of Medicine celebrates Class of 2024

The Quillen College of Medicine graduates 65 students on Friday, May 3. 

East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine celebrated commencement on Friday, May 3, honoring 65 members of the Class of 2024 before they begin residencies across the country. 

More than a third of the class will remain in Tennessee for their residency, including 15 who will complete residency with ETSU Health. In total, the Quillen College of Medicine will send graduates to 21 states – more than half remaining in the Southeast.

“This is always an exciting time of year, and we are very proud to see our graduates take the next step in their career as physicians,” said Dr. Bill Block, dean of Quillen College of Medicine and ETSU vice president for Clinical Affairs. “While the members of this class will head off to residencies in 21 different states, we know they will be dedicated providers committed to improving the lives of others no matter where they are.” 

Dr. Michelle Taylor, director of the Shelby County Health Department and member of Quillen College of Medicine’s Class of 2002, was the guest speaker. 

Taylor received her undergraduate degree from Howard University, and graduate degrees from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University. 

James Mason, who matched into family medicine at Wake Forest University, was the class speaker. Mason, originally from Houston, spent a decade in the music industry as a touring artist and songwriter before coming to medical school. 

Mason is member of the college’s Gold Humanism Honor Society and co-president of the street medicine team Health Bridge. 

Two members of the Class of 2024, Ahauve Orusa and Janika Raynes, were inducted into the prestigious ETSU 1911 Society, which honors the university’s most distinguished graduates who embody ETSU’s original mission of improving the quality of life for the people of this region as exemplified through academic excellence, service and leadership. 

Orusa will complete residency with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, while Raynes will remain with ETSU Health for residency.   

The Quillen College of Medicine also presented several student awards during the ceremony. 

Noah Rutherford received the Dean’s Distinguished Student Honor Award for demonstrating superb clinical skills and the potential for becoming an excellent physician.

The Leonard Tow Humanism Award was presented to Olivia Knoll. Sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, this award is presented to the student, as judged by his or her peers, who consistently demonstrates compassion and empathy in the delivery of care to patients; illustrates professional behavior by example; demonstrates cultural sensitivity in working with patients, family members and colleagues; adheres to professional and ethical standards; pays attention and is sensitive to the patient’s psychological well-being; and displays concern for the general welfare of the community.

Other awardees included:

• Maria Shultz, Kayla Taylor, Heidi Alexander and Sarah Bridgeman, Glasgow-Rubin Achievement Award
• Heidi Alexander and Janika Raynes, Ann Tranum Hawkins Award for Excellence in Women’s Health
• Kylie Keelty, Cheryl L. McLemore M.D. Memorial Pediatrics Award
• Nasir Notta, Department of Internal Medicine Award
• Francis Chung, Department of Pediatrics Award
• Andrea Ramirez, Dillard M. Sholes Society Award
• Ahauve Orusa, Dr. Jay and Mina Mehta Family Award in Preventative Medicine
• Lauren Skolrood, Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award 
• Thomas Wolfe, Dr. Humera B. Chaudhary Memorial Award
• Grayson Aldridge, James Christopher Corbin Memorial Award in Psychiatry
• Noah Rutherford, Outstanding Performance Junior Surgical Clerkship Award
• James Mason, Ronald S. McCord M.D. Rural Family Medicine Award
• John Bell, Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians Scholarship Award
• Seth Jewett, H. Cowan Moss Family Medicine Award
• Cecelia Brown, Dr. Henry Clay Reister Award
• Divya Agarwal, Kevin Swabe Memorial Award 
• Maria Shulz and Nicholas Roberts, Merck Manual Award for Academic Excellence 
• Alexis Miranda, Philip John Hinton M.D. Career in Surgery Award

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.