Speights delivers final lecture as M. D. Class of’ 26 sendoff
By Bob Thomas FSU College of Medicine
On May 16, the 121-member Florida State University College of Medicine M. D. Class of 2026 marched into Ruby Diamond Concert Hall as students and exited as doctors.
They were joined in the recessional line by seven newly-minted Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences – Bridge to Clinical Medicine graduates who, 10 days later, began their own march to physicianship as members of the M. D. Class of 2030.
The ceremonial observance of commencement remained very much the same as the 21 previous M. D. classes experienced, with one significant difference.
Dr. Anthony Speights, senior associate dean for medical education and academic affairs, broke from tradition as he donned a wireless microphone and delivered the commencement address facing the class.
“ On to the life lesson of the day. Your last, and hopefully best, lesson from me,” Speights said, his back to the audience and eyes locked on the students.
Speights’ address ranged widely from playful to poignant; focused on his observations of how students had changed since he and his Generation X peers“ believe we were just built different” than the students on stage.
He referred to his generation as latchkey kids, the MTV generation that never used seatbelts and the first generation with cell phones; as residents who worked 100-hour weeks without time restrictions, slept in the hospital call room and, in many instances, became physicians who were absent from home, grumpy, placed patients and career before everything, and burned out.
“ Now that I’ ve spent so much time over the years telling you how different your generation is than mine as if it’ s a bad thing, let me tell you why your generation is different than mine, in all the ways I admire. …
“ You’ ve learned to support each other in ways our generation never did. You’ ve come to understand the need for balance in work and life.
“ You’ ve heard me say many times, often in what sounded like a critical way, that your generation doesn’ t want to work as hard as the ones before you. But in all honesty, after all these years I can let you in on a little secret. That wasn’ t criticism. It was jealousy.”
Speights proceeded to praise the class – and its generation – for how it found ways to be efficient and work hard, but find time to“ smell the roses, watch some Netflix and hang out.” How it had taught his generation of physicians the importance of mental self-care.
And he reminded the class of a message delivered to them by the late Dr. Daniel Van Durme on their first day as medical students.
“ Dan said something like this: Each of us is filled
10 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE OF MEDICINE