Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, former U.S. Surgeon General, receives an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Dennis S. Charney, MD.

A former U.S. surgeon general, the chief executive officer of an innovative health care system, a leader in public health, and pioneers in chromatin biology and genome editing were honored at the 48th annual Commencement of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, held on Friday, May 12, at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center.

The Icahn School of Medicine granted a total of 139 MDs, 79 PhDs, and 25 dual degrees. Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, the 19th Surgeon General of the United States, delivered the commencement address to the 1,000 faculty, staff, graduates, and their families and friends who filled the hall.

The event began with a sweeping overview of the “unusual times” facing graduates as they start their careers, in an address by Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System. “Our ability to treat each and every patient in need of care, to prevent disease, and to optimize care is under threat today,” Dr. Davis said, describing a bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that might cause as many as 24 million Americans to lose health care coverage.

“At Mount Sinai, we are committed to caring for everyone,” Dr. Davis told the graduates. “We have always been committed to that core value—serving the most vulnerable, as well as the most fortunate. So now I implore you to retain and live the values you’ve been taught here.”

Dr. Murthy said the nation is increasingly divided, driven by a fear of change, and struggling with an epidemic of chronic illness. Yet he expressed a strong belief in “the power and the promise of America,” which allowed him, the grandson of a poor rice farmer in India, to become the nation’s chief public health officer. “As society’s newest leaders, the choice of how to lead starts with all of you,” Dr. Murthy said. “Lead with love, always. Love is our greatest source of power. It is what we need to build a nation that is safe and strong for our children.”

Dr. Murthy received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for his work addressing public health challenges, including tobacco-related disease, the Zika virus, and the nation’s opioid crisis.

Honorary degrees also were awarded to:

David Allis, PhD, Joy and Jack Fishman Professor, and Head of the Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, Rockefeller University, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for discovering that a protein complex called chromatin plays a crucial role in expressing and silencing genes, paving the way for new approaches to treating birth defects, cancer, and neurological disorders.

Jennifer Doudna, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, University of California, Berkeley, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for research that led to the development of CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary technique that may enable researchers to manipulate DNA in order to someday treat, and potentially cure, devastating diseases.

Bernard J. Tyson, Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Permanente, who received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for leading a $65 billion integrated health system that embraces advances in technology and a holistic approach to preventive care.

Howard Alan Zucker, MD, JD, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for devoting his career to advancing public health and safety, and pioneering programs that influence the health of individuals in New York State and around the world.

In his address, Peter W. May, Chairman, Boards of Trustees, Mount Sinai Health System, focused on the fast-changing world of health care, with innovations in treatment and a shift from a fee-for-service model to a population health approach. “The training you have received at Mount Sinai has given you the tools that you need to meet these challenges,” Mr. May said. “And knowing what you have already accomplished, I have every faith that you will be compassionate and formidable leaders of this exciting evolution in health care.”

The graduates were congratulated for their scholarship, research, and “legendary” community service 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.

“To be a great leader, you are going to need to be resilient and have courage,” Dr. Charney said, and recounted three “profiles in courage”: A young woman who fought off beta-cell lymphoma and dreams of being a researcher; a young man who lost his father to cardiomyopathy, then was treated for the same disorder, and founded a health nonprofit in his native Zimbabwe; and a young woman who was hit by a drunken driver and, still suffering from residual health problems, organized a citywide antiracism coalition.

“Do not underestimate how hard it is to be resilient. It requires the courage to confront painful realities, the faith that there will be a solution when one is not immediately evident,” Dr. Charney said. “In my dream, where Mount Sinai graduates change the world, they do so by shining through on their darkest days. How do I know this is possible? The three heroes I just described are not only in this room right now, they are graduates of the Class of 2017.”

Graduates in the Master of Public Health program, from left: Ceciley Bly, who was the student speaker, Alycia Gardner, and Heather Omdal.

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai conferred 207 master’s degrees at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on Friday, May 12, during a ceremony that marked significant growth in its master’s degree programs.

“This is a special ceremony,” noted 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, who presided over the commencement before a jubilant audience of graduates, their families and friends, and Mount Sinai faculty and staff. “It is only the second time that we have had a commencement just for Master’s graduates. This signals that the master’s programs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai are very important—and much larger.” The Graduate School granted 54 more master’s degrees this year compared to last year’s 153 master’s degrees.

In total, the Graduate School conferred 121 degrees in Public Health, one of its oldest master’s degree programs, and 22 in Health Care Delivery Leadership, one of its newest master’s programs, as well as 35 in Biomedical Sciences, 17 in Clinical Research, 9 in Genetic Counseling, and 3 in Biostatistics.

Marta Filizola, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Professor of Pharmacological Sciences, addressed the graduates. “Our Class of 2017 comes from all over the world and represents different cultures and backgrounds,” she said. “But your common strength—and what unites you—is your desire to learn, to embrace new challenges, to experiment, to discover, and to collaborate with others to envision and create a better world.”

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience, and Director of The Friedman Brain Institute, greeted the graduates and spoke about the need for continued diversity in the research community. “Empirical evidence has shown that a diverse group of people, with different backgrounds, perspectives, and viewpoints, can tackle highly complex problems with far greater innovation and creativity,” he said, “but despite progress, we still have a lot of work to do to create a society and culture that values what we have in common, as well as what makes us all different. Mount Sinai is at the vanguard of capturing this strength through diversity and demonstrating to others how we can do better.”

Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of the nonprofit organization McKinsey Social Initiative, who has addressed social inequity and health-related challenges on an international scale, was the commencement speaker. She told the graduates that in the midst of a deeply divided political landscape, economic inequality, and racial tensions across the United States, “You have taken an affirmative step toward action by choosing a career in health” and would be able to make a difference in the lives of people everywhere—an effort, however, that would take more than science, technology, and know-how to achieve. “If we want equality in health care, we are going to have to stand up for it, and we’re going to have to keep standing up for it,” she exhorted. “It is time that we affirm that access to health services is a right. It is as basic as education, clean water, and clean air.”

Dr. Gayle concluded: “If you can maintain the will to pursue that highest ambition, I believe we can all meet the greatest challenges of our time and leave a legacy of healthy populations and health equity for generations to come. So, let’s go do it!”