Michael Grimm
“When I became a student at the WVU School of Medicine I became part of a family, with deans and administration looking out for me, alumni staff and members reminding me why I started this journey, and exceptional peers to learn from and grow with.”
Michael served as the student representative for the M.D. program at the 2024 M.D. Alumni Weekend. Below is a transcript of his speech addressing alumni.
Remarks to Alumni
Good evening, everyone! My name is Michael Grimm. I am a third-year medical student at WVU and the president of my class.
I have the honor tonight of expressing my classmates’ gratitude to you, our alumni community, for the many ways you support our journey through medical school and beyond. Your support is a legacy that has been passed on to us so that we may pass it on to the next generation of students.
Your influence is felt the first week on campus. Each fall the new crop of first-year students receive the all-important “swag” necessary to represent WVU wherever we go. Hats, t-shirts, and coffee mugs welcomed us into the fold that first week. Our orientation culminates with the “Oath of Integrity” ceremony. We, like many of you, swore an oath to uphold the highest standards of academic and professional integrity. This commitment to integrity is rewarded by receipt of a stethoscope, purchased for us by you, our alumni. We thank you for that gift.
Each spring a ceremony is held to commend the second-year class for completing the pre-clinical phase of the program and to launch students into clerkship. This transition is marked by the presentation of a white coat, complete with a gold pin. The coats are sponsored, of course, by you, our alumni. In each coat, students find notes of congratulations and encouragement. The length and content of the messages are as unique as the physicians who wrote them but are unified by the mountaineer spirit of mentorship. We thank you for the coat and those messages.
During the third and fourth years of the program, we branch out to experience rural medicine throughout the state. These experiences are often precepted by alumni. Your willingness to allow learners to practice during busy clinic days is a gift. We thank you for welcoming us into your clinics and operating rooms.
Many students’ paths have been made smoother by your generosity. The scholarships and awards you provide are an acknowledgement of the various paths to medical school, and the challenges inherent in each journey. These gifts put food on the table, fund housing, and provide study resources, but it is about more than these tangibles. It is a demonstration of the commitment to our institution and the mandate to support the next generation of doctors trained here. The scholarship I have received each year was donated by Dr. Carl and Margaret Tully and is awarded to students who support a family. What a gift for our family, and what an example for my kids. There are many such donors here at WVU, endowing the dreams of the next generation of mountaineer doctors. We thank you for this financial support.
I also want to acknowledge the exceptional work done by our alumni services office. This team works tirelessly to preserve the strong relationship between alumni, faculty, and students. I have visited their office often over the last three years, grateful for a snack and a warm greeting from Brian, Gina and Debra. They also coordinate an annual merchandise sale, providing School of Medicine attire at-cost for students. I’m proud to wear the blue and gold far and wide, and wherever I go I find mountaineers ready for a word from home while afar. We thank you for everything you do.
When I became a student at WVU School of Medicine, I became part of a family, with deans and administration looking out for me, alumni staff and members reminding me why I started this journey, and exceptional peers to learn from and grow with. This Mountaineer family is one that I am honored to be a part of, and I know I’ll carry the values I learned here into my everyday work as a physician.
Your impact extends far beyond the walls of the HSC, and you’ve undoubtedly touched countless lives. We are so grateful for your continued support and are fully aware of the mandate to pass forward this generosity. We look forward to continued partnership and collaboration with you in the hospital, the OR, the clinic, and the tailgates.
I hope you have a fantastic Alumni Weekend and Let’s go!