Commencement speaker Scott Gottlieb, MD, center, with Mount Sinai Health System leaders Kenneth L. Davis, MD, left, and Dennis S. Charney, MD.
A former chief of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a leader in the study of cardiovascular and liver disease, a football player turned philanthropist, and an educator who is advancing the teaching of science and medicine were honored as the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai celebrated its 50th Commencement.
The Icahn School of Medicine granted 101 MDs, 34 PhDs, and 22 dual degrees at the ceremony held on Thursday, May 9, at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center. Scott Gottlieb, MD, the 23rd commissioner of the FDA and a 1999 graduate of the Icahn School of Medicine, delivered the commencement address to the 3,000 faculty, staff, graduates, family, and friends who filled the hall.
In his welcoming speech, Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, described the School of Medicine decades ago, when he joined its second class. “Fifty years ago, our political dialogue was consumed by the war in Vietnam. Today, health care is the center of our political debate,” he said. Health care makes up one-fifth of the nation’s economy, and its rising cost is forcing hard decisions on a critical question: “How do we ensure that we provide health care to everyone in this country?” Dr. Davis asked. “It is our job to bring to this debate the nuances and facts that we as physicians, academicians, and researchers see every day. I implore you to make sure the conversations we are having in our hospitals, in our communities, and across the country are honest and factual. Please help others recognize there are no simple solutions.”
New graduates, from front: Sarah Zarrin, MD; Anqi (Angela) Zheng, MD; and Hashem Emad Zikry, MD.
Dr. Gottlieb made a similar call to action. He has long been engaged in public policy—as a student and resident at Mount Sinai, he wrote articles on health care that appeared in journals and in newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. He thanked the school’s leadership for giving him support and freedom in those days, and he challenged the Class of 2019 to take a stand on issues they believe in.
“I am proud of the foundation of service that this institution inspired me with,” Dr. Gottlieb told the graduates. “You all share those same traditions and will go on to do many more great things.” Dr. Gottlieb received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for his commitment to improving the nation’s health and for his work at the FDA, expediting the approval of treatments and drugs, and battling opioid addiction and the use of e-cigarettes by youth.
Honorary degrees were also awarded to:
Curtis Martin, a former New York Jets running back and a member of the National Football League Hall of Fame, who received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for creating the Curtis Martin Job Foundation to support causes such as low-income housing, scholarships for disadvantaged children, aid to people with disabilities, and surgical care in developing nations.
Helen H. Hobbs, MD, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Professor of Internal Medicine, and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for her influential research into the genetic determinants of cardiovascular disease and fatty liver disease, which has led to a highly effective therapy for reducing blood cholesterol levels.
C. Reynold Verret, PhD, President of Xavier University of Louisiana, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for developing innovative programs that are shaping the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers for kindergarten through 12th grade, and mitigating a shortage of STEM educators, especially in underserved communities.
The graduates were congratulated by Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chairman of the Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, who said he was honored to take part in his first commencement in his new role. “You are beginning your medical careers during a time of transformation in how we leverage technology, investment, and biology to better understand human diseases and find new ways to conquer them,” Mr. Friedman said. “We look to all of you to take what you have learned at Mount Sinai and use it to help improve health care. We are in awe of you for having made the choice to dedicate your lives to this mission.”
The graduates were encouraged to “dare greatly” in their future careers by Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System. He noted that they were already an accomplished group. They have published hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, and contributed to the study of immune deficiency and Alzheimer’s disease, and 38 took an extra “scholarly year” to enhance their training as physician-scientists. Dr. Charney said some graduates have shown great promise as entrepreneurs and have been strong advocates on issues including HIV/AIDS, global health, and racism and bias.
Still, Dr. Charney said, “There is much left to solve in medicine. You have studied all the diseases, memorized all the drugs, but how many of our treatments are truly curative?Very few.” Most surgical procedures are decades old, so innovation is badly needed, he said, and the digital age calls for new ways to prevent, monitor, and treat diseases. He also challenged the graduates to be in the forefront of the movement seeking equal health care for all. “What will it take for you, the Class of 2019, to accomplish these goals?” Dr. Charney asked. “You need to be heroes. You need to be not merely good, but great. And you need to change our world.”
Yonathan Debessai, MD, received his hood from his mother, Zaid Weldesellasie.
Robert Rifkin, MD, PhD—with his son, Aaron—was hooded by his father, Scott Rifkin, MD.
Connie Chen, MD, received her hood from her mother, Jenny Chen.