After two years of remote instruction and Zoom meetings, students graduating from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai celebrated their big day in person. The ceremony was held at Carnegie Hall on May 11, and the energy was palpable—masks could not hide the glee that shone through smiling eyes, and family and friends beamed with pride watching the graduates walk and be hooded by faculty and mentors.
Learn about what some graduates from the class of 2022 had to say about their commencement being in person, and what their journey had been like as a student at Mount Sinai and in New York City.
Ayan Hussein, PhD, Neuroscience
Next steps: Weill Cornell Medicine, postdoctoral fellow
“This is a monumental day for me and my family. The vibrant, robust scientific culture at Mount Sinai was influential in shaping and steering me through my research. Even though conducting research during the pandemic was challenging, it helped me cope and escape from the harshness of the pandemic.”
Nick Upright, PhD, Neuroscience
Next steps: deciding between four postdoctoral programs in Neuroscience
“It’s surreal having spent six years in a PhD program. There were definitely some lowlights, such as failed experiments and imposter syndrome. But there were just as many highlights. I’ve never had as much excitement defending my thesis, and I’ll always remember that—and the support my friends, faculty mentors, and family gave me at every step of the way. All the help I received throughout my PhD truly allowed me to become the best researcher I could be.”
Allison Kann, PhD, Biomedical Science
Next steps: Harvard University, postdoctoral fellow
“I’m so grateful to be done after six long years, and celebrating with friends and family is a really nice way to wrap things up. Seeing everybody here has reminded me how much we’ve relied on each other throughout our PhDs, and finishing the program during a pandemic has just increased that sense of community. I think we’ve all had to be much more resilient than we give ourselves credit for.”
Sayeeda Chowdhury, MD, MPH
Next steps: Institute for Family Health/Mount Sinai, residency in Family Medicine
“I feel a sense of relief and also gratefulness toward my family, friends and faculty. I lost my father to Covid, and I grew up in Queens, which had a huge battle with the pandemic. I’m grateful because I now have a clearer sense of my place and how I can play a bigger role in helping my community. This program has given me a clear purpose.”
Eziwoma Alibo, MD/PhD
Next steps: Mount Sinai, residency in Surgery
“I’m riding high, and while I’m excited, I know today could have been better for me. My parents couldn’t make it, they are in Nigeria and there were visa and COVID issues, but I have my sister and so many other friends and family here for me. I will say: an MD/PhD program is really hard! There were so many times I wondered if I could do it. But what was really special was the type of people who came to Mount Sinai. They were talented, caring, and we all helped each other through our low times. They were a family we created, and I’ll forever treasure them.”
Gabriela Frid, MD
Next steps: Columbia University, residency in OB-GYN
“Like others, a challenge I struggled with during medical school was imposter syndrome. When I got something wrong, I would wonder if it was because of my lack of ability. But my friends believed in me and supported me, as well as my OB-GYN adviser. New York City and Mount Sinai have been the best place for me to train and learn about who I am and want to be.”
Axel Epié, MD
Next steps: Mount Sinai, residency in Emergency Medicine
“I’m ecstatic. It’s been an amazing journey. While I expected to make sacrifices to be on this path, my colleagues helped me find a way to pursue a work-life balance that I did not think was possible. I thought to be in this field meant having to give up some of the things I had worked on outside of my work life, but thanks to the support of colleagues and friends, I’m sure this balance will no doubt help me become a better doctor.”
Evan Garden, MD
Next steps: Mount Sinai, residency in Urology
“The saying ‘It takes a village’ really applied here to my time at Mount Sinai. Studies were hard but my friends and family showed up for me in many ways. I will always remember how my mom and dad dropped off dinner and made sure I was fed when I got too busy, or how my family and friends checked in on me during the pandemic when we were isolated. It has also made me appreciate the importance of teamwork in medicine. I thought being a doctor was about an individual’s heroic effort, but I learned it was so much about being in a team, with different specialties coming together at all levels.”
Stephanie Jeong, MD
Next steps: Mount Sinai, residency in Internal Medicine
“There were so many great people I met at Mount Sinai and everyone really helped and supported each other here. For example, I remember during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of my classmates and I regularly checked in with each other, sent care packages to support each other, and kept each other accountable through board exam study sessions on Zoom. There are many hospitals where you can receive excellent medical training, but the program at Mount Sinai is unique among those, especially having played an essential role at the forefront of the pandemic in New York.”
Stephanie Hojsak, MD
Next steps: Mount Sinai, residency in Anesthesiology
“This had been a perfect end. My time in the school had been punctuated by indecision on my specialty. But with the help of my advisers, I feel confident in having found a place where I belong. Being in New York City during the pandemic was a jump start to my career and I was exposed to a level of training that was crucial not just clinically, but also for my empathy for patients.”