Members of the pioneer classes of Mount Sinai medical school attending the 54th Commencement.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai celebrated its 54th graduating class on Thursday, May 11. A total of 172 degrees were conferred that day, ushering in a new generation of clinicians and researchers. However, the Commencement ceremony also celebrated another historic milestone:
“In attendance today are distinguished alumni who have had long and highly productive careers,” said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “They are members of our first few graduating classes, from 1970, ’71, ’72, and my class, 1973. Together, they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their graduation.”
One distinguished alumni who joined the Icahn Mount Sinai faculty on stage was Jeffery Flier, MD, Class of 1972, who had helped organize events celebrating this milestone. Events in the week leading up to Commencement included the 2023 Alumni Reunion Awards Ceremony Dinner at the New York Academy of Medicine, and a 50th milestone anniversary podcast, which interviewed members of the pioneer class.
“I would frequently tell people, ‘Don’t overthink what your career is going to be,’” Dr. Flier said in the podcast. As advice to recent graduates and future medical students, Dr. Flier noted that many people have many different careers during the course of their medical life, and one can’t predict what their opportunities are going to be. “Look for what you think will give you the greatest pleasure and opportunity that’s facing you right now,” he said.
Throughout the careers of these alumni, they have pushed the frontiers of medicine and science. Hover to read about where some of these outstanding individuals are today:
Ernst Schaefer, MD, class of 1972
Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Boston Heart Diagnostics.
Arthur Frank, MD, PhD, class of 1972
Professor of Public Health and Chair Emeritus of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Drexel University’s School of Public Health, Philadelphia.
Jeffrey Flier, MD, class of 1972
Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard University.
Naomi Luban, MD, class of 1972
Chair of the Institutional Review Board in the Office of Human Subjects Protection at Children’s National Hospital, Washington, D.C.
Curious how Icahn Mount Sinai has evolved over the years? From its first class to the present, the medical school has pushed itself to higher heights, reinventing itself many times over. Here’s a timeline of Icahn Mount Sinai through the decades.
The New York State Board of Regents granted a charter to The Mount Sinai Hospital to create The Mount Sinai Hospital School of Medicine, permitting the school to grant MD and PhD degrees. A separate but overlapping Board of Trustees for the School was created.
Charter amended to change name to Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Affiliated with City University of New York, name changed to Mount Sinai School of Medicine of City University of New York. First Faculty Assembly held, with approximately 1,200 faculty members.
First students arrive: a first-year class with 36 students, including four women; a third-year class with 23 students; and 19 students in the Graduate School. Basic Science building on 102nd Street was opened.
The first class of Mount Sinai School of Medicine graduated, with 23 students.
First commencement of graduates who had spent all four years at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
First classes were held in the Annenberg Building.
Department of Geriatrics and Adult Development created—a first in a U.S. medical school.
Aron Residence Hall opened for medical students.
Humanities and Medicine Program established to attract liberal arts students to careers in medicine
Master of Science Degree in Community Medicine added, later changed to Master in Public Health.
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, for the first time, graduated more women than men; a first in New York State.
The Mount Sinai School of Medicine Consortium for Graduate Medical Education was established.
East Building (now Icahn Medical Institute) opened.
Affiliated with New York University, name changed to Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University.
Institute for Medical Education established.
Master of Science in Clinical Research added.
Mount Sinai School of Medicine added new offerings, including Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program, and Master of Science in Genetic Counseling.
The Middle States Commission granted the School initial accreditation to be a free-standing accredited body and to grant its own degrees. Name changed to Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
First White Coat Ceremony for first-year medical students.
Name changed to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in honor of trustee Carl Icahn. Mount Sinai Health System is announced, comprising Icahn Mount Sinai and seven affiliated hospitals. The medical school also announced an affiliation with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to collaborate on educational programs, research, and development of new diagnostic tools and treatments.
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Icahn Mount Sinai was named a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.
Icahn Mount Sinai and Stony Brook University on Long Island announced a partnership to develop joint graduate and medical educational programs.
Master of Health Administration program added.