MACON — Mercer University presented Doctor of Medicine graduate Myles Nicholas Duncan with one of its highest honors, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, during medical school commencement on May 3 in Macon.
This elite recognition is awarded annually to one graduating senior from Mercer’s undergraduate programs and one graduating student from a graduate program. The award celebrates those who demonstrate through thought and action the noble characteristics of integrity, compassion, selflessness and moral courage. It recognizes those who strive not only for personal excellence but for the betterment of others.
“Even before joining us here at the School of Medicine, Myles had already shown a remarkable commitment to uplifting others,” said Jean Sumner, M.D., FACP, dean of Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM). “His unwavering dedication to serving others, his humility, his integrity, and his passion for mentoring and empowering the underserved make him a shining example of what it means to live a life of purpose.”
After completing a bachelor’s degree in biology at Anderson University, Duncan joined MUSM in 2021 as a recipient of the U.S. Army Medical and Dental Student Stipend Program. Upon completing his emergency medicine residency in Augusta, he will continue his service as an officer in the U.S. Army.
Throughout both his undergraduate and medical school careers, Duncan has been a dynamic leader and a tireless volunteer. His peers describe him as easy to get along with, compassionate and service-oriented. Medical school faculty describe him as dependable, hardworking, engaged and endlessly inquisitive.
At MUSM, Duncan served as a student ambassador, an underrepresented in medicine (URiM) mentor, and the primary point of contact for prospective students on interview days — roles that highlight his gift for connection and mentorship. He is respected by his classmates and admired by faculty for his professionalism, honesty, courage and unwavering determination.
“I feel very honored to have received such a prestigious award,” said Duncan. “Graduating with this recognition proved to me that you can do hard things while also lifting up other individuals around you and making a positive impact on people’s lives.”
Duncan held a leadership role in Mercer’s Christian Medical and Dental Association, where he facilitated weekly Bible studies focused on applying biblical principles to modern health care issues. As URiM representative for his class and as site director for the Young Physician’s Initiative at Fort Valley State University, Duncan mentored countless students on their journeys to becoming future physicians.
Upon graduation, Duncan was also given the Distinction in Service to the Community award for his leadership in creating MedRise, a community engagement project focused on empowering minority groups through representation in science and medicine. His team met people where they were — at local ethnic grocery stores — to offer blood pressure and glucose checks, share personal health stories, and promote wellness in spaces where people felt safe and seen.
“I’m looking forward to continuing my journey as a physician and serving my community in various ways. One of the benefits of graduating medical school and earning an M.D. is that it gives you a seat at the table,” said Duncan. “I hope to use my position and influence to improve people’s lives and overall make the word a better place.”
Even beyond the walls of medical school, Duncan continues to invest in his community. Through his work with Streets to Success, an after-school program aimed at keeping youth off the streets, he tutors middle and high school students weekly, offers guidance and supports their dreams.
“Myles truly represents the heart of what it means to be a Mercer physician, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate him with this well-deserved recognition,” Dr. Sumner said.
And through it all, he still finds time for what matters most to him — spending precious moments with his wife and children.
“None of this would have been possible without my relationship with Jesus Christ and the love and support of my amazing wife,” Duncan said. “Graduating with my M.D. is a huge accomplishment for me and my family.”
Duncan, from Evans, is the son of Angela and Christopher Duncan. He is married to Chabeli and is a proud father of Emilia, Ezra and Sophia. He is also brother to Brandon and Maya.
About the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award
The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award is presented to the graduating student who best exemplifies excellence in character, leadership, service to the community and a commitment to spiritual values. This award was established by The New York Southern Society in 1925, and at Mercer University in 1926, in memory of Sullivan, a great humanitarian and philanthropist.
About Mercer University School of Medicine (Macon, Savannah, Columbus and Valdosta)
Mercer University’s School of Medicine was established in 1982 to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Today, more than 60% of graduates currently practice in the state of Georgia, and of those, more than 80% are practicing in rural or medically underserved areas of Georgia. Mercer medical students benefit from a problem-based medical education program that provides early patient care experiences. Such an academic environment fosters the early development of clinical problem-solving and instills in each student an awareness of the place of the basic medical sciences in medical practice. The School opened additional four-year M.D. campuses in Savannah in 2008 and in Columbus in 2021, and a clinical campus in Valdosta in 2024. Following their second year, students participate in core clinical clerkships at the School’s primary teaching hospitals: Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Piedmont Macon Medical Center in Macon; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah; Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus; and SGMC Health in Valdosta. The School also offers master’s degrees in preclinical sciences and family therapy and Ph.D.s in biomedical sciences and rural health sciences.
