Members of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology both planned well ahead of the event celebrating their graduating GI fellows and responded quickly to changing circumstances. When they learned that Dr. Steven Polyak would be traveling and unable to accept the Dr. Robert Summers Outstanding Teaching Award, staff arranged for the fellows to present him the award before he left town. Also present for the impromptu photo shoot was RN Deb Beadle, who had gifts for the fellows as well. The moment was a good preview of the creativity, adaptability, and goodwill that would be seen among the GI colleagues a couple days later.
The Saturday evening event itself was held at the University Club, not far from the health care campus. After a brief social hour and dinner, it was time for the entertainment: Dr. Antonio Sanchez, Dr. Warren Schmidt, and RN Gail Crowe. Though they had not given their newly formed trio a name, they did make their influences as a band fairly clear. The three adapted four classic folk songs to match the training and impending departure of the four everyone had come to celebrate. With songs like “Where Have All the Fellows Gone” to the tune of “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” there was plenty of opportunity for GI-related humor in each of the four songs they performed. Not only were the songs carefully scripted, but they were also well-performed, to the attendees’ delight.
After the concert, fellowship program director Dr. Adrian Holm offered a series of thanks to everyone for their work in the program, family, faculty, and Hilary Humphrey and other administrative staff members. Dr. Holm then introduced each of the graduating fellows, highlighting their qualities and outlining their future plans. He also revealed small and humorous eccentricities, which then led to the delivery of some personalized gifts. After Dr. Holm was finished, Division Director Dr. David Elliott led the crowd in a round of applause for Dr. Holm and his leadership of the program.
Dr. Elliott also offered his congratulations and best wishes to the retiring Dr. Naurang Agrawal, thanking him for his hard work, his advice, and his friendship. The fellows then presented Dr. Agrawal with the Fellows’ Certificate of Appreciation, which each of them had signed and had framed, in recognition of his teaching and mentorship. A few more group photos followed and then the attendees took their leave, probably still humming a tune or two.
Congratulations to this year’s fellowship graduates!
Jae Wook Dong, MD
Maen Moh’d Masa’deh, MBBS
Huafeng Shen, MB, MMed
Kaartik Soota, MBBS
