Cadet Drew Long '13 is among 13 future Medical Corps officers who will be attending medical school following graduation from the U.S. Military Academy on May 25. Having achieved the highest grade point average among them, he was presented with the 2013 Richard M. Mason Memorial Award by Col. Felicia F. Pehrson, commander of Keller Army Community Hospital May 21.
The Life Science major was accompanied by his family -- father, Jeff; mother, Nancy; and brother, Air Force Capt. Brit Long. He was also joined by 10 other classmates as they were welcomed into the Army Medical Corps and received their Army Medical Regimental Crest. Pehrson spoke to them about the passion of Army physicians and how they can affect the lives of so many people in their profession.
"May you never lose your drive and passion to be a healer, and I want to congratulate you and wish you the best in your careers," she said.
Pehrson spent a little time with the Long family before the presentation and congratulated the cadet on graduating with a 4.1 GPA.
"This is a challenging school with a very challenging program, and it speaks volumes that you did so well," she said. "That's what medical schools look for. They don't just want brains--they're looking for people with character and West Point clearly graduates students who've developed that and tend to be well-rounded."
The award Long earned is named after the 1968 USMA graduate and highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who left the service to pursue a career in medicine. Mason died of cancer in 1977 at the age of 30 and his parents founded the award in his honor.
