For the class of 2029 of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the White Coat Ceremony marked the start of their medical careers. It was also an opportunity for Mount Sinai staff and faculty to pass on their wisdom about what it means to be on that path.
“As students, it represents the privilege you have earned to study medicine,” said Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Interim Dean of the Icahn School, speaking to the crowd at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on Tuesday, September 16. “As practitioners, it will be a constant reminder of your sacred responsibility to patients. And to your patients, it will symbolize the deep trust that they place in you,” he said.
Incidentally, remarked Dr. Nestler, just as the event was the first White Coat Ceremony for the incoming class, it was also the first that he had presided over as Interim Dean since assuming the role last year. The incoming class is a diverse group from different socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, with representation from 31 states, 52 different schools, and two who joined from the military. Collectively, class members speak more than 20 different languages.
The new students are stepping into a world that will contain many firsts for diagnosing and treating patients, led by artificial intelligence and genomic sciences, and Dr. Nestler said it will be a world unrecognizable to himself, his peers, and his mentors: “You are preparing to join our profession as it faces a revolutionary inflection point.”
But behind the prestige and brilliance, doctors must remember that they, too, are human, said Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair of the Mount Sinai Health System.
“The point is that medicine will take a toll. And we used to celebrate that. But we don’t anymore,” said Dr. Carr. “We don’t want the numb version of you. We want the version of you that feels deeply and sees the connection you have with your patients. And we want the professional version that commands authority and respect and is polished and professional.”
Class of 2029, By the Numbers
128
Class size
7,529
Number of traditional entry applications
54%
Percentage of women
18
First-generation college students
519
Median MCAT score of class
3.94
Median GPA of class
Jude Barakat, Class of 2029
Why did you choose to enter medicine?
I chose to enter medicine after seeing my mom battle her diagnosis with her rare autoimmune disorder, scleroderma. With such a complicated diagnosis, we visited tons of physicians and physician-scientists, where I saw first-hand the impact of their discoveries. Over years, these professionals gave me the invaluable gift of long hikes with my mom and celebrating life milestones—like this White Coat Ceremony—by her side. I hope to do the same for others through my pursuit of science and medicine.
What do you see as gaps that exist in medicine, and how do you think you can help bridge that gap?
I observe a disconnect between scientific research and clinical practice. It’s not only important to pursue our scientific curiosity, but to ground that research and inquiry in advancing care for our patients. In pursuit of my physician-scientist training, I hope to help bridge the gap, speaking both a scientific and medical language to improve human health for my patients and on a larger scale.
What drew you to the Icahn School of Medicine?
As an MD/PhD student, I appreciated that the “bench-to-bedside” translational research model is baked into the very nature of Mount Sinai as both a hospital system and a powerhouse in biomedical research. Beyond the lab, I instantly felt the supportive and collaborative atmosphere from the students and faculty the moment I entered Second Look, the event for accepted students to learn more about the program. Plus, Mount Sinai has the best location of any medical school in the world: next to Central Park and a train ride away from any action of New York.
Interesting facts about yourself?
When not doing science or medicine, I love to watch reality TV—specifically Survivor; I even minored in psychology to study social behavior and dynamics. A life goal of mine is to be on Survivor… maybe during grad school?
I am a medical student and so much more. I’m also… an educator and mentor.
Cesar Espinal, Class of 2029
Why did you choose to enter medicine?
I chose to enter medicine because this field will allow me to have an impact on someone’s life during their most vulnerable moments. Having seen how my own life and the lives of my loved ones have benefited through the efforts of compassionate health care workers, I feel both a deep desire and responsibility to provide that same care for others. Whether it’s through a clinical intervention or just being there to listen, I know that my actions as a physician will have the potential to be life-changing. The white coat bestowed upon me symbolizes not just knowledge, but a commitment to consistently honor the privilege of being relied upon to do what is best for my future patients. With every step I take toward honoring that trust, I find myself living out the very reasons I chose this path.
What do you see as gaps that exist in medicine, and how do you think you can help bridge that gap?
A major gap I see in medicine is the lack of adequate language access for patients with limited English proficiency. Through my experience researching language access in New York City public hospitals, I have become aware of the fact that patients who don’t share a common language with their care team often struggle to fully understand their care, and relying on telephonic or video interpreters can make it even harder to feel truly connected and comfortable.
Now, as a medical student, I am grateful to take a more active part in addressing them as a Spanish interpreter at the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, where I hope to serve as both a language and cultural bridge between patients and providers. Through work like this, I hope to grow into a physician who not only recognizes these invisible barriers but also becomes more mindful of how to better connect with patients whose languages I do not speak.
What drew you to the Icahn School of Medicine?
I was initially drawn to the Icahn School of Medicine because of the FlexMed program, which allowed me to live in Spain and Argentina to strengthen my fluency in Spanish—it’s my heritage language that I didn’t grow up speaking, even though my mum is from Mexico, and my dad is from the Dominican Republic. During those years, I also conducted research at NYU Langone, Bellevue Hospital, and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, examining language access and minority health in hospitals serving largely Hispanic communities across New York City.
Now, I hope to bring these skills and experiences back to East Harlem by serving the vast Hispanic patient population that comes to Mount Sinai for care. Access to such a community has always been central to where I envision practicing medicine, as I strive to bridge language gaps for the community I come from but could not always fully connect with. Achieving this dream has only been possible because of the Icahn School of Medicine, which gave me the foundation I needed to serve this community today.
Interesting facts about yourself?
I’ve traveled to five continents and I’ve lived in four. But more impressively, I can solve a Rubik’s cube in 17 seconds.
I am a medical student and so much more. I’m also… a runner, a cyclist, and hopefully a future triathlete.
Eva Ingber, Class of 2029
Why did you choose to enter medicine?
I was an avid reader as a teen, deeply stirred by the works I read, such that I often thought to myself: I want to do this. At the time, I thought “this” meant that I strictly wanted to be a writer, a storyteller. Over time, I learned what it was that truly inspired me: I wanted to touch people’s lives the way books touched mine. Over time, this same feeling—coupled with an ever-growing interest in science, a craving for interpersonal connection, and a firm belief that actions often speak louder than words—led me to the realization that I didn’t just want to write people’s stories, I wanted to take an active part in shaping them. This desire was cemented the summer before my senior year of high school, when I had my first shadowing experience. I witnessed a J–pouch procedure, and the surgeon had me hold the freshly removed colon.
I often think back to that moment, to the emotions I felt all at once: disbelief that I was holding a part of the human body, deep sadness for the patient who just lost an organ and whose life would be forever changed, but also reverence for the ingenuity of medicine. I have been privileged to witness cutting-edge procedures, but my reverence of medicine is equally attributable to the littlest moments I’ve seen: a resident holding a hysterectomy patient’s hand as she awoke from surgery, a physician delicately fixing the gown of an anesthetized patient for privacy, an entire operating room of staff singing Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” for a patient as she drifted to sleep. The stimulation and connection I’ve sought on the page are everywhere in the hospital. I am inspired and deeply moved by the humanness of medicine, a field that is a constant reminder of the paradoxical duality of our existence: we are flesh and bone, and we possess such awesome potential.
What do you see as gaps that exist in medicine, and how do you think you can help bridge that gap?
I have observed—both in the clinical space, amongst my peers, and during my own experiences as a patient—the helplessness that can arise in the moments after leaving a physician’s care. A patient can be given instructions but face frustrating and confusing obstacles in trying to complete them. I feel that the onus of navigating these next logistical steps should not fall squarely on a patient’s shoulders. The logistic and circumstantial barriers to care can be mitigated by more physicians not only telling patients what their next steps should be, but how they can accomplish them.
This clarity might be as simple as affirming for a patient that their office will handle filling the prescription or that they will take care of reaching out to pathology to receive the necessary slides. I hope that every patient I am privileged to treat not only feels cared for in my presence, but leaves with this same feeling, empowered and confident in their understanding of their health and how to continue protecting it.
What drew you to the Icahn School of Medicine?
As a volunteer researcher at Mount Sinai during my undergraduate years, I would walk into the Annenberg Building and be surrounded by the vibrancy of Mount Sinai—doctors and nurses in scrubs running to grab lunch between shifts, families coming to visit loved ones, researchers carrying samples on ice, cleaning staff making sure that the hospital shines, and delivery people bringing essential goods to their respective locations.
I’ve seen firsthand the unique paradox of the Mount Sinai community: that despite its large size, its magnitude of accomplishments, Mount Sinai has created and cultivated warmth and intimacy across the institution in a way that is palpable. From the new ASCEND curriculum that breathes life into the facts and goes beyond lecture learning, to the cutting-edge research and clinical opportunities that come from the immersiveness of a medical school that’s part of a hospital, to the equitable model of care and emphasis on the dynamic role of physicians, I am inspired by the way the Icahn School of Medicine teaches and practices the art of medicine. I wanted to attend a medical school that, like me, believes care goes beyond a diagnosis—and I know with absolute certainty that Mount Sinai is that school.
Interesting facts about yourself?
I was in a rock band growing up. I was the lead singer!
I am a medical student and so much more. I’m also… daughter, sister, granddaughter, wife, writer, reader, artist, lover of music (anything from Frank Sinatra to Taylor Swift), and an exercise aficionado.
Rahmah Jingo, Class of 2029
Why did you choose to enter medicine?
I have felt a calling to medicine for as long as I can remember. My dad is an internist, and as a kid, my favorite days were going with him to work. I loved seeing my dad share the understanding and caring side of himself that I loved so much with his patients. This was my earliest insight into how special the physician-patient relationship truly is. I grew older and pursued patient-facing experience by volunteering as an EMT and working at an urgent care facility. I learned to anticipate and respond to my patients’ needs, and I built meaningful relationships grounded in compassion and trust during moments of vulnerability. My work gave me the clarity to recognize my purpose: to pursue the clinical training and scientific knowledge that would best equip me to meet others’ health needs. I chose medicine knowing it is a privilege to wake up every day with the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
What do you see as gaps that exist in medicine, and how do you think you can help bridge that gap?
There are an overwhelming number of issues that come to mind. Limitations exist in structural barriers to care, workforce burnout, policy changes, health care costs—to name a few. In pursuing a medical career, I have considered the way being a physician would put me in a unique position for advocacy that leads to widespread policy changes. I’ve seen how practicing medicine informs research that uncovers clinically relevant solutions to address such gaps. However, I am but one individual, still uncovering where medicine will ultimately take me. At this stage, I know the most important thing I can do is hold hope for a better future. Hope allows us to imagine what a better future looks like, and from that imagination, tangible and necessary action may arise.
What drew you to the Icahn School of Medicine?
I attended a medical conference early in my undergraduate career when I first met students from the Icahn School of Medicine. It was very easy to see myself attending this school; I saw a bit of myself in the students I met. I made sure to ask the “hard” questions about life as a medical student, and left with the feeling that I would be well-supported and welcomed by this institution. I got the sense that the values the Icahn School upholds aligned extremely well with my own. I wanted to be in a school that centers the patients, the greater community around us, and the pursuit of science. All of those factors gave me confidence that I would fully step into my potential as a doctor by attending the Icahn School.
Interesting facts about yourself?
For middle and high school, I went to international schools in my hometown, Atlanta, Georgia, and in Kampala, Uganda. Because of that, I have made lifelong friends from many different places around the world.