837 Health Sciences Graduates Poised to Deliver Care Across Tennessee

Physical therapy student Anna Hicks is prepared for a career of caring for patients after she graduates Monday, May 11, at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis.

Anna Hicks remembers the moment physical therapy started to feel real.

"It's really interesting to learn about somebody else, and that is PT, in a way," she said. "You get to know these people, to really be a part of their lives, see their progress visit after visit, and see their confidence leaving the clinic. That is what drew me in."

Hicks is now preparing to take that calling into her career as one of 837 students graduating this spring from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences. Alongside her classmates, she will cross the commencement stage Monday, May 11, at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis, ready to serve patients across Tennessee and beyond.

A total of 662 students are graduating Monday, including 175 from the College of Medicine, 132 from the College of Dentistry, 115 from the College of Health Professions, 87 from the College of Pharmacy, 102 from the College of Nursing, and 51 from the College of Graduate Health Sciences. An additional 175 Health Professions students will graduate May 18 at the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology's commencement ceremony in Knoxville.

Together, these graduates are expected to help meet critical workforce needs in healthcare across Tennessee and beyond.

Hicks, a Memphis native, began her journey to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree with early hands-on experience. After completing her undergraduate studies at UT Knoxville, she worked in a physical therapy clinic, where patient interaction confirmed she was in the right field.

"Once you get into the clinic and start working with patients hands on, all of it starts to click and run together," she said. "Each step before graduation is like a steppingstone to eliminating your imposter syndrome. You're going into it with a lot more confidence and treating patients and properly getting them better and working towards their goals."

Isaac Graber, also from Memphis, will graduate Monday from the College of Medicine. He will remain at UT Health Sciences for a residency in emergency medicine, drawn to the unpredictability of emergency care and the opportunity to help wherever he is needed.

"I love the fast pace, I love the chaos, and I like being able to do a lot of different things and be able to use my hands when I'm practicing," he said. "I'd love to be the type of person who, one day, is somewhere random, and they need a doctor on a plane or at a concert or something, and I can go and help there."

Commencement marks the beginning of the next phase of College of Medicine student Isaac Graber's career, which will be spent at UT Health Sciences in an emergency medicine residency.

Despite the differences in their disciplines, both Hicks and Graber point to the same defining feature of their education: the people around them.

"I'm so glad that I ultimately came to UT Health Sciences for med school," Graber said. "It can be so cliché to say that it's about the people, but really, I've gotten so close with the people in my class, and I've had incredible professors and incredible mentors who really did want to see me succeed, and that meant a lot to me."

Hicks echoed that sentiment, crediting her mentors and patients for shaping her approach to care. "I don't think I would be where I am today without that and the mentorship that I've had from everybody I've learned from in Memphis and at UT," she said.

As she begins her career, she hopes to carry that same perspective forward, one patient at a time.

"It's those patients that walk in, who were considering not even coming in today because they feel like they are just too far gone, and then just in that one session, you can get them walking out a lot more confident and joyful, with a smile on their face," she said. "It's a lot more than just satisfactory. It's truly what carries me throughout the day and throughout my life."

More information about commencement, including the schedule of ceremonies and live stream link, is available on the graduation website.