Christian Vulpis '12 is seen with Donald Knowlan, M.D. '47
More than 60 years may separate them, but a timeless bond brought two Chaminade men together.
Christian Vulpis '12 had just arrived in Washington following four years of study at the University of Notre Dame. He was accepted to the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Surely, he would meet new people in his program – but one of the first shared a surprising commonality, aside from an interest in healthcare.
Donald Knowlan, M.D. was the keynote speaker at Christian's White Coat Ceremony – a ritual marking the beginning of a student's formal study of patient care. Dr. Knowlan is well known at the Washington school; in fact, Georgetown's website calls the professor emeritus "beloved" by his students.
During the welcome lecture, Dr. Knowlan asked if anyone had ever heard of Chaminade. Christian rose his hand. Dr. Knowlan then shared that he was a Chaminade alumnus, too – a graduate of the Class of 1947. They shared a moment after the ceremony to get to know each other.
Dr. Knowlan left Christian and his first-year classmates with an important thought at the White Coat Ceremony, telling them that future physicians should be "strong patient advocates . . . to insist that the patient gets the best and most precise care."
His stature in the community is well-established. The Donald M. Knowlan, M.D., MACP Learning Society at the Georgetown medical school exists for mentoring, learning, and community service. It is one of five learning societies to which every student belongs. Dr. Knowlan served as the team physician for the Washington Redskins for nearly 30 years.