Commencement Ceremony

Commencement 2022

Friday, May 17, 2024 @ 6:00 pm ET

The RUSM Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024, at 6:00 pm ET at the Watsco Center (located on the University of Miami campus), 1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, Florida.

Join Us LIVE!

The ceremony will be livestreamed for friends and family who are unable to attend in person on Ross Med's Facebook or YouTube accounts @RossMedSchool

Keynote Speaker - F Scott Ross, MD
F Scott Ross

Dr. F. Scott Ross is the recently elected Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida. He is responsible for directing, coordinating, and evaluating the operations of Cleveland Clinic Weston to ensure high-quality patient care, fiscal responsibility, operational efficiency, integrity, and the provision of comprehensive health services. Additionally, he plays a pivotal role in establishing new relationships with large healthcare systems and enhancing the hospital's network of allies in Central and South America and Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Ross graduated from the Cleveland Clinic Florida Internal Medicine Residency in 2013. Recognizing his value, the organization retained him as a staff physician, offering him a position as an adult Hospitalist. He subsequently assumed the role of Chair of the Hospital Medicine Department, a position he held until 2021 when he became the hospital's Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Most recently, he assumed the position of Vice-President/CMO, where he will be leading the organization’s more than 3400 local employees.

Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Ross gained extensive expertise in both the regulated and unregulated utility business in South Carolina where he worked for South Carolina Electric & Gas Company for 12 years. His experience spanned sales and operations management and even included owning a business. Presently, he holds affiliate faculty appointments with Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine and Florida International University. He remains actively engaged with his alma mater, Ross University School of Medicine, contributing to curriculum development and offering guidance and mentorship to medical students pursuing their degrees.

Throughout his career, Dr. Ross has received numerous awards and recognition. His journey began during his medical residency when he served as Chief Resident. He has twice received the Cleveland Clinic Nightingale Physician Collaboration Award in 2013 and 2016. In 2015, he earned the title of Cleveland Clinic Clinician of the Year. His outstanding contributions were further acknowledged nationally in 2016 when he was recognized as the Ross University Clinical Instructor of the Year across all clinical sites. In September 2018, he delivered the keynote address at Ross University's White Coat ceremony. His dedication to his work led to the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency Physician of the Year award in 2020. Most recently, he assumed a position on the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association.

 

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General Commencement FAQs

Where will the Ceremony be Located?

RUSM is excited to celebrate our graduates in person on Friday, May 17, 2024, at 6:00 pm ET at the Watsco Center (located on the University of Miami campus), 1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, Florida.

Will guests be allowed at commencement?

 Yes! Friends and family are welcome at the ceremony. At the time at which we share registration, there is no limit on the number of guests, however you will be asked to provide a number of guests, for security and planning purposes.

Please note that the event will also be livestreamed on the RUSM Facebook and YouTube pages in real-time so family and friends can watch from anywhere across the world if they are unable to attend in person.

Will You Also Offer a Virtual Option for Graduates?

No, there will not be a virtual component for the 2024 ceremony. RUSM is excited that we will be able to celebrate our graduates’ accomplishments together in person.

Do I need to participate in a ceremony to graduate?

No. If students choose not to take part in the ceremony and their university academic requirements are met, graduates will receive their diplomas in the mail.

How do I get my honor cords, Empower Scholarship cords and 4.0 medallions?

RUSM will provide honor cords, Empower Scholarship cords, and 4.0 medallions to qualified honor graduates at check-in on the day of the ceremony. Honors statuses are determined by the Honors policy in which a student matriculated into RUSM. Eligible Honors designees will be recognized during the ceremony and will be identified with honor cords. Honors recognition is reflected on the graduate’s transcript and diploma. Due to the timing of receipt of clinical evaluations and completing of a final degree audit, you may not be recognized at the ceremony.

How will I receive my diploma?

If your university academic requirements are met, you will receive your diploma in the mail. Diplomas are mailed to the student's diploma mailing address from their graduation application for degree conferral, which can be viewed and updated in the My Ross Med Student Portal.

What if I have a question about graduation announcements?

Please email hjcollegefl@aol.com and a Herff Jones representative will respond directly.

How do I order a diploma frame with an international shipping address?

If a student has an international shipping/billing address, and they want to order the diploma frame, they will need to order the cap and gown by itself and then go to framingsuccess.com to order the diploma frame.

Day-of Commencement Ceremony FAQs

Are face coverings/masks required for students, staff, and guests at the ceremony?

At this time face coverings/masks are not required for students, staff, and guests.

What if my guest requires wheelchair or similar accessibility access?

For guests requiring wheelchair or similar accessibility access for entering – Please locate the sign with the symbol of accessibility on it and the attending staff will be able to assist.

Will there be a program?

Physical programs will be available at the ceremony. However, in the spirit of One Health and being environmentally conscious, we ask that programs are limited to 2-3 per family/friends. There will be a QR code available to pull up a digital program the day of the ceremony on a mobile device.

Why doesn’t my name appear in the commencement program?

The entire list of eligible graduates will be added to the commencement program, and we do our best to ensure that the lists are correct. Should you notice a discrepancy, our team can send a revised digital copy post-ceremony if you email events@rossu.edu. Please note that if there is an error, your name will still be announced in person.

Can my relative hood me during the commencement ceremony?

If you have a relative who is an RUSM alum, they may hood you during the Commencement Ceremony. If you wish to take advantage of this opportunity, please email events@rossu.edu for instructions as far in advance of the ceremony as possible.

Only alumni will be permitted to hood graduates during the Commencement Ceremony, no exceptions.

Will the ceremony be photographed and/or videoed?

Yes! By entering the 2024 Commencement event for Ross University School of Medicine, you are entering an area where photography, audio and video recording may occur.

Your entry and presence on the event premises constitutes your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of any and all recorded media of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with Ross University School of Medicine and its initiatives, including, by way of example only, use on websites, in social media, news and advertising.

By entering the event premises, you waive and release any claims you may have related to the use of recorded media of you at the event, including, without limitation, any right to inspect or approve the photo, video or audio recording of you, any claims for invasion of privacy, violation of the right of publicity, defamation, and copyright infringement or for any fees for use of such record media.

You understand that all photography, filming and/or recording will be done in reliance on this consent. If you do not agree to the foregoing, please do not enter the event premises.

What time should graduates arrive for check-in for the 2024 ceremony?

Graduates should begin to arrive for check-in and line-up two hours prior to the start of the ceremony. For Ross Med, that will be 4:00 PM ET, and the ceremony will begin promptly at 6:00 PM ET. 

When will guests of the graduates be permitted to enter the Watsco Center for the ceremony?

Guests of the graduates will be permitted to enter the Watsco Center an hour and a half prior to the start of the ceremony. This is a half hour after graduates begin checking-in, so please plan accordingly.

How do I wear my regalia?

We require all graduates to wear regalia while participating. You can find a video on how to wear your regalia here

Prior to your Ceremony FAQs

Do I need to register to participate in commencement?

Yes. It is required to register to participate in RUSM’s in-person commencement ceremony. A unique link will be made available to you via email. The email sender with be NameCoach (no-reply@name-coach.com), NOT Ross University School of Medicine. Be sure to check your SPAM folder! This registration process is required regardless of whether you indicated your interest in the ceremony while applying for degree conferral.

Please note that registration for commencement will close at midnight eastern standard time on Friday, April 19, 2024.

How can I purchase a cap and gown?

The deadline to order your cap and gown will be Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Cap and gowns will deliver no later than May 5, 2024.

The ordering site will be live with this year’s commencement date on November 27, 2023.

Directions:

Go to: http://herff.ly/ross

  • Choose Ross University School of Medicine
  • Click Cap & Gown
  • Choose your degree from the drop-down menu
  • Click ‘Cap & Gown’ tab at the top of the page, fill out your information and complete the order.
Are there any hotel recommendations for Graduates?

Our commencement planning team is working on hotel recommendations and discounts. Please check back later for more information.

Is there a dress code and are graduates required to wear regalia?

There is not a specific dress code for graduates. However, all graduates are REQUIRED to wear the designated academic regalia to participate in the ceremony — a doctoral tam, gown, hood and tassel.