This week, I was incredibly honored to deliver the Convocation address for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Class of 2018 on Tuesday. During Convocation, 916 graduates from 61 countries were awarded their degrees—153 doctoral degrees and 74 master's. These are the public health leaders of today and tomorrow!

The Bloomberg School’s mission is the cornerstone of public health – saving lives, millions at a time. This is the dedication to being the society’s doctor, and it’s exemplified through the leadership of Dean Ellen Mackenzie. This Convocation was Dr. Mackenzie’s first as the Dean, and I was particularly touched to receive the Dean’s Medal, the highest recognition conferred by the School for public health leaders. Previous awardees included former Senator Barbara Mikulski; Dr. Harold Varmus (Former Director, National Institutes of Health); Carol Bellamy (Former Executive Director, UNICEF); and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand.

In my remarks (starting at 50:50), I told the graduates to never let others tell them what public health can or cannot do. There are those that told our predecessors that they shouldn’t take on the tobacco industry, or that public health has no role in automobile safety or environmental regulation. How many millions of lives are saved every day because public health leaders took on those industries and refused to be silenced?

It’s been said that public health works best when we’re invisible – but if we are invisible, nobody else will make the case for us. We must be the constant voice, to talk about how cutting preparedness funding means uncontrolled disease outbreaks, and how gutting Medicaid has devastating impacts for pregnant women, children, and generations yet to come. As Former Senator Barbara Mikulski says, “Data validate, they don’t motivate.” Public health leaders must be motivators who make public health visible. Standing up for public health – for the public’s health – means that we will always be on the right side of history.

It was an honor to applaud, celebrate, and cheer on the Class of 2018 on their journey to save lives – millions at a time.

Leana Wen, M.D., M.Sc.

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