Graduation is one of our signature events every year and is a celebration of our students’ hard work and dedication! We honor our students as they have completed their medical school journey and are about to embark on the next stage of their career.
The 2023 graduation ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at the Aruba campus of Xavier University School of Medicine.
Graduation is not an automatic process. Students should apply to graduate no later than the application deadline. You must be in good financial standing with the University and have met all the requirements in order to participate in the ceremony.
The deadline to apply for Graduation is January 15, 2023.
If you have any questions about graduation, please email Graduation@xusom.com.
Graduates must order their own academic attire through Jostens.
All graduates are required to wear academic attire (cap and gown) to the Graduation ceremony.
Students are responsible for bringing their own regalia on the day of the ceremony. Caps and gowns will not be provided on the day of graduation.
An Honor Cord will be provided on the day of graduation to students who achieved a GPA level of 3.77 or higher.
If you receive an honors designation for GPA, this will be noted in the commencement program.
Please note that final grades for all rotations completed must be entered into SMS in order to be eligible to receive an Honor Cord.
All tickets are free. Seating is general admission.
Guests are invited to enter the venue one hour prior to the start of the ceremony to obtain their seats.
The ceremony lasts approximately two hours and will include short addresses by distinguished speakers, the conferring of degrees, and the recessional. The ceremony will begin promptly with the academic procession and the entry of candidates. Members of the official party will sit on stage; candidates and guests will be seated in chairs in the audience facing the stage. Each graduate will be presented on stage, be hooded, cross the stage to receive their “diploma” from the President, and return to his or her seat. The stage party and faculty will lead the recessional, followed by the graduates.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, there will be a graduation party on campus with food, beverages, and live entertainment.
More specific instructions will be emailed to graduates approximately one month before the ceremony.
All students who have met all graduation eligibility requirements will have their names printed in the program. Graduation programs will be available to pick up on graduation day.
Graduation is a time to celebrate and enjoy your achievement. It is also a time to reflect on that achievement and to acknowledge the help and support provided by family, friends, faculty, and staff. You are asked to honor the spirit of this important occasion by conducting yourself in a manner that is respectful to your guests and the guests of others, of your fellow graduates, and of yourself. We ask that you and your guests respect the following:
- No noisemakers, whistles, horns, or any other sound making devices.
- No outside food or beverages.
- No confetti.
- No shouting or screaming is allowed during the ceremony.
- Guests must remain in their seats at all times (unless otherwise instructed). Interactions with the graduates will not be permitted during the ceremony.
- Doors will remain closed during the ceremony. Should guests need to exit during this time, reentry will only be permitted during designated times to limit interruptions.
Graduates and guests who do not comply to these above stated regulations will be asked to leave the ceremony.
Diplomas will be sent to students once they have been cleared by the Office of the Registrar and the Student Finance Department.
The “diploma” that students receive on stage from the Chancellor is a sample designed to look attractive in the photographs taken that day.
There will be a professional photographer and videographer on the day of the ceremony. You will be photographed as you are hooded and when you receive your “diploma”. All graduates will receive digital copies of those photos.
Further information will be provided for additional photo requests following the weeks after graduation.
Special Hooders
Graduates can have a family member, friend, or mentor, hood them on the day of the Graduate Ceremony. This person MUST have a valid medical degree. A copy of the license of diploma should be provided with your request.
The deadline for an approved hooder is April 1, 2023.
Please note that we will not accept a special hooder request after this date. Hooders will not be accepted the day of the graduation ceremony if they were not requested by April 1, 2023.
Requests can be made through the graduation sign up form. You must provide the name and credentials of your special hooder. This information is announced when you walk to center stage to be hooded. If a student does not request a special hooder, one of our Deans will perfom your hooding.
Please include your hooder in your final number of guests.
Please see details below regarding special hooders at the Graduation Ceremony:
- Hooders will not be issued a cap and gown. They are asked to dress in business casual attire.
- The hooder will remain in their seats until called to accompany the Graduates to be seated on the left side of the stage following the conferring of the degrees,
- When your row is called upon the stage, your hooder will follow you up, take a spot near faculty hooders, place the hood over your head, and proceed across the stage with you as your name is called.
- After you receive your “diploma” and take a photo with the President and the Chancellor, you and your hooder will return to your original seats for the remainder of the ceremony.
