New Class of Medical Students Take Oath at White Coat Ceremony


Dr. John J. Cush St. George’s University School of Medicine officially welcomed a new class of medical students at the White Coat Ceremony on August 20, 2007.  The faculty and staff of SGU were honored to have Dr. John J. Cush, MD, a member of the second graduating class of SGUSOM in July of 1981, give the Keynote Address to the incoming class of 389 students from 22 countries. Dr. John H. Adamski, MD, MPH, MSc, one of the first dual degree students at SGU from the graduating class of 1999, currently a trauma and critical care surgeon at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Maryland, was the Master of Ceremonies who welcomed the students and introduced the speakers. Chancellor Charles R. Modica wished the students much success as they symbolically marked their official entry into medicine.

Dr. Cush addressed his audience of students and their families with humor and sincerity.  He made mention that the hurricane traveling through the Caribbean, with subsequent travel delays and inconveniences, was merely one of many life challenges we all face each day.  He urged the students to view all challenges, both small and large, as an adventure to be embraced and met head on with dignity and determination.   “St. George’s University, “  he said, “will introduce you to many new and very real adventures.  They become great when you rise to the occasion and master it.  They become sadly memorable and deeply educational when we fail to control or manage them.  So your medical education and your medical lives will be a curious interplay of great triumph and occasional disappointment.”  

Drawing on his own experiences as a student at SGU, Dr. Cush said that the great lessons start in Grenada, often disguised as adventures and challenges and will continue throughout their education and careers.   He recommended that each student get to know Grenada, beyond the walls of True Blue, always being aware that as guests on the Island, “kindness and respect are skills that need constant attention.” 

In his final remarks to his audience, Dr. Cush expressed, “Great physicians are foremost great people.”  He praised SGU for its efforts to foster and acknowledge humanism through education, encouraging the students’ participation in activities that will benefit both local and global communities.  

Repeatedly voted one of the “Best Doctors in America” and “Best Doctors in Dallas,” Dr. Cush is a recognized leader in the complex field of rheumatology. In 1984, Dr. Cush began his rheumatology fellowship and was later appointed to the Rheumatology faculty of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.  Since 1996 he has been Chief of the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Director of the Arthritis Center at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.  In addition, he is a Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.  Dr. Cush has produced over 100 publications in his field, including co-authoring two leading rheumatology textbooks. 

Dr. Cush is a great supporter of the SGUSOM and serves on the Board of Trustees and is Chair of the Academic Board of Trustees for the University.  He also serves on the Arthritis Advisory Committee for the Food and Drug Administration and is Chairman of the Corporate Relations Committee for the American College of Rheumatology.

For Dr. Jack Cush’s Complete Keynote Address…..
Published 9/10/2007