Resilient Burnett School of Medicine Graduates Become Nation’s Newest Doctors
The graduating students at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University maintained a perfect residency match record despite displacement from the historic Cooper fire.
FORT WORTH – Standing on stage at TCU’s Van Cliburn Hall, the class of 2026 at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University did more than just receive their doctoral hoods — they marked a triumph of the human spirit.
Less than a year after a historic six-alarm fire at the Cooper Apartments left 40 students including four graduates displaced, this resilient cohort bounced back with a 100% residency match rate.
“We have worked with these graduates for four years to instill the values of empathy, compassion, and deep medical knowledge,” said Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., Founding Dean of the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. “As newly minted doctors, we know they will embrace the challenge to stay true to those qualities throughout their careers.”
TCU Chancellor Daniel Pullin, J.D., offered poignant advice to the graduates, emphasizing the weight of their new roles.
“You are graduating with a distinctive set of skills, a deeper sense of purpose, and a lifetime commitment to caring for others,” Chancellor Pullin said. “The greatest advances in medicine come from those who refuse to accept limits.”
The keynote address was delivered by Jacqueline Chadwick, M.D., a pioneer who partnered with Dean Flynn to design and launch the Burnett School of Medicine. Dr. Chadwick encouraged the new physicians to focus on healing each patient they encounter.
“You can be and will be in healing relationships with your patients whether it’s a kid with a sore throat, a surgery or listening to a son kneeling with a father with Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Chadwick said. “Starting every day with a prayer of how I can help someone heal today will be a huge success and be full of meaning.”
Reflecting on the class’s journey, Cort Ewing, M.D. ’26, a Gold Humanism Society inductee, spoke on behalf of his peers. He touched on the their trials and tribulations.
“Despite this, each of us stands here today. TCU, Fort Worth, and the people with us today have rallied to support us,” Dr. Ewing said. “Your patients and colleagues will look to you for strength and consistency just as we have looked to the people in this room.”
During the ceremony, the graduates received doctoral hoods and recited the Hippocratic Oath. These new physicians will begin prestigious residency programs across the United States this June carrying the Burnett School of Medicine’s legacy of empathy and excellence into the future of health care.