Commonwealth Medical College

One hundred and eight Doctor of Medicine students received the first symbol of their new profession as The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC) held its eighth annual white coat ceremony for the Class of 2020 Aug. 12 in Scranton.

Joshua Dearing, of Whitehall, and Esther Good, of Whitehall, were two of the students in attendance.

Stanley Dudrick, M.D., F.A.C.S. presented the Dr. Lester Saidman memorial lecture, named in honor of a well-respected physician and educator from Luzerne County. Dr. Dudrick’s pioneering work led to the development of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), which revolutionized the care of premature newborns and critically ill patients. In the four decades since its development, TPN has transformed patient care. The number of lives of children saved by TPN stands at more than 10 million, and the benefits to adults with a range of conditions has been no less substantial.

The Class of 2020’s 108 future doctors participated in a ceremony, held in common with virtually every other medical in the nation, designed to welcome new medical students into the profession. Students recited an oath acknowledging their responsibilities as future physicians and their obligations to future patients. They were cloaked with the white coat - the mantle of the medical profession - by a member of TCMC’s faculty. White coats are provided by The Stanley J. Dudrick, M.D., and Alan G. Goldstein Endowed Fund.

TCMC is one of the nation’s newest fully accredited medical colleges. TCMC offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Scranton, Sayre, Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport. TCMC offers a Doctor of Medicine, Master of Biomedical Sciences and a Doctor of Medicine/Master of Public Health dual degree. The college’s innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from within its 17-county region in northeast and north central Pennsylvania as well as from across the state and the nation. The Commonwealth Medical College is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. Visit tcmc.edu.

Oxford University

Will Leiner III, of Coplay, recently graduated from Oxford University, U.K., with a Master of Business Administration degree. Leiner also was awarded Oxford’s mens basketball MVP for his on-court leadership. He was bestowed the prestigious “Blue” designation as lead scorer and spearheaded the team’s victory over arch-rival Cambridge.

Following an Oxford-sponsored internship at Albright-Stonebridge Group (ASG), former Secretary of State Madeline Albright’s global consulting firm in Washington, D.C., Leiner was offered a position with ASG. He will consult for them in the global healthcare industry.

Leiner is a 2005 Whitehall High School graduate - where he was a co-captain on the back-to-back Lehigh Valley Conference and District 11 AAAA Championship teams at Whitehall from 2004-05 - and a Penn State 2009 graduate - where he studied finance and was a successful walk-on to their mens basketball team that won the 2009 NIT Championship. During his senior year, he was put on scholarship.

He is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Kutztown University

Christopher Collins, of Bath, is working for the Pennsylvania Department of State as part of a 15-week internship sponsored by Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. Collins is a senior at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where he is majoring in public administration and minoring in paralegal studies. He is the son of Nickole Atkins and a 2012 graduate of Stroudsburg High School.

One of 12 students, Collins is participating in The Harrisburg Internship Semester (THIS) program, which provides students the opportunity to work in all areas of state government while earning a full semester’s worth of credits. THIS invites students from each of the 14 State System universities to participate. More than 600 students from the State System universities have participated in THIS since the program began in 1989, each gaining valuable insight into the workings of state government at the policy-making level. Interns have worked with dozens of state agencies, as well as in the offices of the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the attorney general. He and the other students participating in the program also will attend several academic seminars during their fall semester internship. Each of the students will complete an individualized research project as part of the program’s requirements.

State system students interested in participating in THIS in a future semester may obtain information on the program by contacting their individual campus coordinator, university’s cooperative or internship office, or by calling Dixon University Center at 717-720-4089. More information on the program also is available at passhe.edu/this.

Founded in 1866, Kutztown University (KU) of Pennsylvania is a proud member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education located on 289 acres nestled in the beautiful East Penn Valley in Berks County, between Reading and Allentown. KU is just two hours from New York City; 90 minutes from Philadelphia. As the region’s center for excellence in academics, culture and public engagement, KU’s programs and reputation for quality offer students the opportunity to discover lifelong avenues of learning and discovery. KU students select from more than 100 areas of study within four colleges in a diverse liberal arts academic environment. To complement their studies, KU’s NCAA Division II athletics program with 21 varsity sports joins the more than 160 student clubs and organizations providing students with a variety of activities for learning and discovery. For more information, visit kutztown.edu.