Oath and Hooding: Cheers, Tears and Reminders That ‘You are Ready for This’

With faculty members beaming and family members roaring, nearly 100 NC State College of Veterinary Medicine students took the Veterinarian’s Oath and became doctors at an Oath and Hooding ceremony Friday, joining about 3,000 NC State veterinary alumni since the college graduated its first class 40 years ago.

The Class of 2025 chose NC State Outstanding Teaching Award winners Dr. Mat Gerard, professor of anatomy, and Dr. Devorah Marks Stowe, associate professor of clinical pathology, to bestow their academic hoods. Members of the class also chose Dr. Adam Birkenheuer, the Andy Quattlebaum Distinguished Chair in Infectious Disease Research, to give the faculty address and fellow student Alexis Starr, a North Carolina native, to give the class address. 

Dr. Lysa Posner, associate dean of Academic and Student Affairs, welcomed the class and their supporters to the event at Reynolds Coliseum on the NC State University campus. 

“It is easy when surrounded by a college of lifelong academics to lose track of how remarkable your accomplishment is,” she said. “In the US, only 34% of the population has a bachelor’s degree and only about 3% hold a doctoral degree. Hopefully these statistics serve not only as a point of pride, but also an obligation. Please use your knowledge and skills for good — for the good of animals, for the good of humans, for the good of your communities and for the good of the world.”

In choosing Dr. Birkenheuer to speak, the students cited his unique teaching style that blended tough love with continuous support.

“He didn’t just lecture; he asked the kinds of questions that made our hearts race but our minds sharper,” they said. “He forced us to think critically, to refine our ‘lizard brains’ and to develop a systematic approach to medicine that will serve us for the rest of our careers.” 

During his speech, Birkenheuer gave out class superlatives such as Most Likely to Start a Vet Fashion Empire and Most Likely to Become President, had the students repeat his three-prong mantra of having fun, helping animals and helping people and encouraged them repeatedly to remember they have received a world-class education and are ready for what’s ahead.

“Watching students at the end of their clinical year, watching you agonize over easy decisions — and finally make the hard ones — has been an incredible gift,” he said. “I know some of you may still not feel ready. You may wonder if you can really do this. You are ready. You can do this. Your success is the greatest honor and reward for all of us here at the College of Veterinary Medicine.”

Once the graduates received their hoods, Dr. Karyn Smith, president of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association and NC State DVM Class of 2006, administered the Veterinarian’s Oath. When Dr. Katie Sheats, associate dean of Professional Education and Admissions, then introduced the class’s chosen speaker, she took great delight in bringing to the stage “Dr. Alexis Starr.”

Starr, who grew up in Sedalia in Guilford County before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, said she had thought about focusing on several different aspects of veterinary practice but chose small animal medicine after some wayward moments with a horse and a wolf. The variety of animals that NC State veterinary students get to experience hands-on is “the gold standard of veterinary medicine,” she said.

“We are trained how to dart wild animals for further evaluation,” she said. “We learn how to give injections into reptiles, small mammals and fish. We are the first line of defense against infectious diseases like rabies, influenza and even COVID. We are even trained how to handle emergencies such as management of a beached whale.” 

The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine also celebrated 18 students who received their Ph.Ds. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, from cell biology and immunology to pathology and public health.

“We are proud to send our graduates into the world to solve today’s most pressing health challenges,” said Dr. Joshua Stern, associate dean for research and director of graduate studies. “Our CBS program is designed to prepare students for competitive careers at academic institutions, government postings, nonprofit agencies and private industry. Graduates, you are joining an elite group of scientists throughout the world.”

Dr. Kate Meurs, the Randall B. Terry Jr. Dean of the college, closed the ceremony by telling the graduates it’s important to remember to take care of themselves as they head out to care for the world. 

“I hope that this career brings to you incredible happiness and satisfaction as it has to me,” she said. “I know that this career will also bring to you increased responsibility and greater expectations from those around you, particularly during times of rapid change as we face today. Your role, the veterinarian’s role, in society becomes even more important. We know that all of you are ready to meet these additional responsibilities and expectations.”

Watch the Oath and Hooding ceremony here. 

The week before Oath and Hooding included several other opportunities to celebrate, including the end of clinics for the graduating fourth-year students Wednesday and a reception for the Comparative Biomedical Sciences students and an event for Multicultural Student Affairs members Thursday.

Numerous new Class of 2025 veterinarians also participated in the NC State University-wide commencement at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday with nearly 7,000 other Wolfpackers.

“‘Think and Do’ is more than a motto — it’s a charge, a way of life, a compass,” said commencement speaker Adm. Daryl Caudle, a 1985 graduate of NC State University. “It means we must lead lives of both reflection and action. That we cannot merely ponder challenges — we must step up to confront them. If you think and do — with people, prioritization, planning, practice and performance — you’ll carry the tools needed to lead in any field, under any condition, in any era.”