School of Medicine Class of 2025: Ready to Change the World for the Better

UC Irvine celebrates the class of 2025 School of Medicine graduates with a heartfelt message from NFL defensive lineman Solomon Thomas: “You are forever healing people, saving lives and keeping families whole.”

“Congratulations to the class of 2025!” Michael J. Stamos, MD, dean of the UC Irvine School of Medicine, warmly greeted the auditorium of students, faculty, family and friends, which erupted into applause to open the 2025 School of Medicine Commencement.

Each year, the School of Medicine honors the achievements of over 150 MD, PhD, MD/PhD and MS program graduates and celebrates around 250 residents and fellows completing their rigorous programs. Saturday, May 17, 2025, marked this impressive milestone for the class of 2025 MDs, residents and fellows. (Graduating students from the MS programs in the School of Medicine will participate in the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences commencement on June 13. Doctorate students will participate in the Graduate Hooding Ceremony on June 16.)

“We’ve had an incredible year at UCI," said Stamos at the May 17 ceremony, "and your presence and achievements as part of the School of Medicine family have contributed to our success.”

A Positive Impact

Stamos recounted some of the year’s most memorable accomplishments, including celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC) and recognizing the fourth class in the Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM) program.

He cheered the opening of the Center on RNA Science and Therapeutics, the Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries, and the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care. He applauded the impressive $375 million received in research dollars, and he expressed excitement for the upcoming fall opening of the nation’s first all-electric hospital, UCI Health — Irvine.

Continuing to look forward, Stamos spoke to the graduates about their future and potential. “More than 70% of this year's class will enter training programs in California, with over 50% staying in the UC system to continue their careers and close to 40% of those staying here at UCI as Anteaters,” he said. “Through your work, people will see the positive impact of our mission: Discover. Teach. Heal.”

Chancellor Howard Gillman then took the stage, reminding graduates to balance their confidence and scientific sophistication with humility, empathy, kindness and respect. “And keep fighting for all those who are too often overlooked and neglected," said Gillman. "Your unshakeable sense of justice will change your profession and our world for the better.”

A Reminder for Self-Care

The featured speaker, Solomon Thomas, asked out loud what he thought some might be thinking: “What the hell is a football player doing at a commencement speech at this prestigious School of Medicine?”

The defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys embodies physical strength and power but spoke with compassion and vulnerability about losing his sister, Ella Elizabeth Thomas, to suicide in 2018. In 2021, Thomas co-founded The Defensive Line to end the epidemic of youth suicide. His off-the-field contributions in the area of mental health earned him the Heisman Trophy Trust Humanitarian Award in 2023 and made him a three-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.

“Self-care and self-love are the most important qualities for you all to hold on to,” he told the students, acknowledging the tremendous responsibility they were assuming. “Medicine is one of the most important pillars in our world. Through your brilliance and deep knowledge, you are forever healing people, saving lives and keeping families whole.”

Yet, he cautioned them in their role as caretakers: “You put so much energy and time into helping others, but if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t do the amazing work you all do.” Thomas advised them to “let their inner child shine,” never letting that “kid-like” curiosity and passion die. He also told them to embrace the ups and downs in life. “Learn how to dance in the rain … the darkest times have brought me a brightness I didn’t know possible.”

Finally, Thomas told them never to forget their “why.” His motivation is his guardian angel, his sister. “Ella had so much love to give, but couldn’t give it to herself,” he said. “There’s no strength in silence … the true meaning of strength is being vulnerable.”

Thomas’ sentiments were echoed by senior class presidents Christine Louis and Devan Peterson as they addressed their fellow graduates.

They touted the accomplishments of their class, including writing books, publishing in top journals, presenting at national conferences, leading nonprofits, promoting community health and traveling across the world to serve those most in need. They highlighted awards won for research, public health innovation, medical education and artistic skill.

“Now, as we move on to this next chapter, we want to remind everyone that medicine is more than being knowledgeable and having skill; it’s about having humanity,” said Louis. “It’s about those small moments, like holding your patient’s hand before surgery.”

“But to care for others, we have to care for ourselves,” added Peterson. “That means protecting our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. … And finally, let’s always remember why we went into medicine, and our mission to discover, teach and heal.”

Tomorrow’s leaders, educators and advocates in medicine were then “hooded” and took the oath for doctors of medicine.

Chancellor Gillman conferred the degrees. “It’s official,” he announced. “You have graduated from medical school!”

Additional 2025 commencement photos appear online.