Dr. David A. Kessler, the U.S. commissioner of food and drugs, will address the 104 students who are expected to be awarded M.D. degrees at the School of Medicine on Monday, May 27, at its diploma ceremony. Dr. Kessler will speak on the topic "Doctors and Healers."
The medical school graduation ceremony, which will begin immediately following the University's commencement, will be held on the courtyard in front of the Edward S. Harkness Memorial Hall, 367 Cedar St.
Diplomas, awards and thesis prizes will be awarded to the students by Medical School Dean Dr. Gerard N. Burrow, along with Associate Deans Dr. Robert H. Gifford and Dr. James P. Comer, and Dr. John N. Forrest Jr., director of the Office of Student Research.
Earlier in the day, the medical students will gather at College Street and Frontage Road with nursing, epidemiology and public health, and physician associate students to march to the Old Campus for the University's Commencement ceremony.
Dr. Kessler, who was appointed by President Bush and continued on by President Clinton, came to the Food and Drug Administration FDA with a wide range of experience in research, clinical medicine, education, administration and the law. He instituted significant changes in the FDA's structure and operation. He has acted to speed the approval of new drugs and has placed high priority on getting promising therapies for serious and life-threatening diseases to patients as quickly as possible. He also has introduced changes in the device approval process to make it more efficient and ensure that it meets high standards.
Under Dr. Kessler's direction, the FDA has announced a number of programs, including nutrition labeling for food, user fees for drugs and biologics, preventive controls to improve food safety, measures to strengthen the nation's blood supply and the MEDWatch program for reporting adverse events and product problems.
From 1984 until his FDA appointment in December 1990, Dr. Kessler was the medical director of the Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and held teaching appointments in pediatrics, epidemiology and social medicine.