What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore how commencement ceremonies symbolize educational milestones in lifelong learning and offer effective messaging methods.

April 25, 2026

Commencements and speeches: way stations along the lifelong learning journey

Key Points

To explore how commencement ceremonies symbolize educational milestones in lifelong learning and offer effective messaging methods.
Analysis of a 45-year career in higher education and academic medicine
Experiences from participation in over 50 commencement ceremonies
Evaluation of effective messaging techniques for commencement events.
Commencement speeches serve as reflective and motivating milestones in education.
Effective messaging can enhance the impact of the commencement experience on graduates.
Integration of personal lessons from a long career improves the relevance of commencement messages.

Abstract

Abstract Commencement ceremonies are opportunities to survey the road covered along the lifelong journey of education, both reflecting on important intervals and imagining the future. This AM Last Page features an approach to convey an effective commencement message, which includes lessons learned through a 45-year career in higher education and academic medicine and participation in over 50 commencement ceremonies.

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Discussion

Authors

David J. Skorton

Journals

Academic Medicine

Actions

Institutions

Association of American Medical Colleges

References and Citations

Connected Papers

Building similarity graph...

Analyzing shared references across papers

Commencements and speeches: way stations along the lifelong learning journey

Key Points

Abstract

Citation Network

Connected Papers

Discussion

Authors

Journals

Actions

Institutions

References and Citations

Citation Network

Connected Papers

Discussion

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