Did you catch the ukelele at medical school commencement?

Dan Harris, MD, in the courtyard of Weiskotten Hall as a medical student.

Five hundred and forty-six students graduated from Upstate this past Sunday -- including 191 from the College of Health Professions, 158 from the College of Nursing, 24 from the College of Graduate Studies, 3 from the MD/PhD program and 170 from the College of Medicine. One of the medical school graduates was chosen to speak at commencement, and the new Dr. Dan Harris brought along his ukelele. An excerpt will air soon on Upstate's weekly talk radio program, HealthLink on Air, or you can listen to it here.

How did Harris get his start with the ukelele? “I stumbled upon a cheap soprano ukelele in my attic back home, while looking for a bowling ball and brought it back for my last semester of college. A jazz pianist friend of mine helped me learn some basic music theory, so I was able to figure out how to play chords on the ukelele.”

Read how medical students unwind with music.

Listen to Dan Harris' "American Pie"