Graduating medical students must complete the Application to Graduate in the Banner web portal by April 17. Graduating students must complete this step before they can register themselves or their guests for wristbands, which will grant them access to the College Green area during Commencement.

Regalia (cap or tam, gown and hood) must be worn for the Procession and Commencement ceremonies on Sunday. Commissioning students and those with military service have the option to wear formal military attire in place of the cap and gown if they so choose and if permitted according to their status with the military. More information regarding the purchase and rental of regalia is available on the Brown Bookstore website.

Medical Ceremony Tickets

The Warren Alpert Medical School Commencement Ceremony is ticketed. Each student who is attending the ceremony receives four tickets. If a student who is attending the ceremony has an extra ticket that they would like to share with another graduating student, they are free to do so.

Tickets are distributed at the mandatory rehearsal on Saturday, May 23. If any additional tickets are available at that time, the event manager will share them on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wristband Access

All graduating medical students must register online in advance to receive smart wristbands that will grant themselves and their guests access to the College Green area and key ceremonies and events throughout Commencement and Reunion Weekend, including the Procession and University Ceremony on Sunday.

View a list of events requiring smart wristbands, as well as step-by-step instructions and the wristband registration link, on the Wristband Registration page. Students are encouraged to register by Friday, May 1 to ensure they can print and distribute wristbands in advance of the weekend. Wristbands can be printed at the Grad Fair on May 7 and other designated times and locations.

Wristbands are nontransferable and must be registered and printed by the graduating student. All guests are subject to security screening and bag checks.

Visit the Event Access and Ticketing page for more information about Commencement access.

Guidance for International Guests

International students who want to invite family members to attend Commencement can find information about obtaining a visitor visa on the International Student and Scholar Services website.

Graduating medical students will gather before rehearsal on Saturday at 9 a.m., in front of the Marcus Aurelius statue on Simmons Quad for the M.D. Class of 2026 photo. 

Mandatory rehearsal for medical students participating in the ceremony will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church, 1 Benevolent St. At rehearsal, each student will receive four tickets to the Medical School Ceremony on Sunday. Children ages two and under do not need a ticket to the Medical School Ceremony if they will be seated on a lap. (Please note that children 5 and up must be registered as guests and wear wristbands for the University Ceremony and to gain access to the College Green area.) 

If graduating students need additional tickets, they can reach out to classmates for unused tickets. There will also be an overflow room at the First Unitarian Church where guests can view a livestream of the ceremony. If additional tickets become available once attendance is confirmed, an email will be sent to the class on Saturday evening, and tickets will be distributed on a first-come basis. 

Questions?

Questions regarding graduation requirements should be directed to the medical school’s Office of Student Affairs. Questions about events should be directed to medschool-commencement@brown.edu.

Graduating medical students are asked to report, wearing wristbands and full academic regalia, to Angell Street by 9 a.m. to line up for the Procession. Medical students may arrive through either entrance on Angell Street, where staff members will check their wristbands, but the best location is at Thayer and Angell streets.

The Procession will step off at approximately 9:45 a.m. The medical school division will process through the Van Wickle Gates and down to First Unitarian Church, 1 Benevolent St., where the Medical School Ceremony takes place. The Medical School Commencement ceremony will begin at approximately 10 a.m.

Guests of graduating medical students should find their seats at First Unitarian Church before the Procession begins, to watch via livestream. This will ensure guests can enjoy all the important moments from both the Procession and the Medical School Ceremony. 

After the ceremony, graduates and their guests are invited to the College Green for the University Ceremony, which will begin at around 1:15 p.m. Wristbands are required to access the greens. Seating is limited, and specific seating is reserved only for students. Guests are welcome to watch the University Ceremony from other livestream viewing locations, listed on the Procession page.

Graduating students and their guests who require accessibility accommodations for the Medical School Ceremony should contact medschool-commencement@brown.edu as soon as possible.

Visit the Accessibility Accommodations page for additional information.