Simran Malhotra and her fellow classmates participated in Mount Sinai’s first virtual White Coat Ceremony.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Class of 2024 donned their white coats for the first time in October, in a symbolic and inspirational ceremony that has become an annual tradition marking the start of medical school and a life-long journey in the field of medicine. This year’s event was held virtually. It displayed the proud and hopeful faces of 140 incoming students, their voices giving way to a cacophony over Zoom, as they recited an oath they had written collectively—one that recognized the “gravity of the moment,” of become physicians during the most challenging time in a century.
David Muller, MD, Dean for Medical Education, and the Marietta and Charles C. Morchand Chair in Medical Education, kicked off the White Coat Ceremony with introductory remarks. He characterized this moment in history by saying there are “many intersecting threads of uncertainty: a global pandemic of COVID-19, a national pandemic of racism, a political landscape that has the potential to tear this country apart. Your class is ushering in a new dawn in medicine. Nothing will ever be the same again.”
This year’s two “virtual” keynote speakers were recent Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai medical school graduates who have continued their training at Mount Sinai: Mary Nwosuocha, MD, a second-year resident in Psychiatry; and Katleen Lozada, MD, a first-year resident in Emergency Medicine. Each talked about their experiences last spring, when COVID-19 hit New York City and, according to Dr. Nwosuocha, “it was all hands on deck.”
Mary Nwosuocha, MD
Dr. Nwosuocha told the audience, “There was a time back in March when I asked myself, ‘Would I still accept my medical school admission offer if I knew that in my first year as a physician I would be facing the worst pandemic in 100 years? Would I still want to be a doctor knowing that my job would require risking my life every day and seeing my colleagues who became good friends fight for their own lives?’ ”
Instead of completing her scheduled rotation in Neurology last spring, Dr. Nwosuocha became part of a small COVID-19 unit that was set up for psychiatrically ill patients with the disease. She said, “I had to figure out how an agitated patient who produces a lot of respiratory droplets wouldn’t infect me or my colleagues, and to help a disorganized patient understand the concept of social distancing while they struggled with something as basic as their own hygiene. Having to wear a gown, a mask, and a face shield made establishing rapport with already paranoid patients even more difficult.”
During those dark days, Dr. Nwosuocha said, it was her experience with a COVID-19 patient with schizophrenia, whose mother was also sick with COVID-19 and not able to visit him, that led her to answer her own initial question with a resounding “yes.” She said, “I believe I am here to help other people at their most vulnerable; to use my skills and responsibilities to serve my patients. And I would say you are all remarkable in your position because you have already answered yes.”
Katleen Lozada, MD
In April, Dr. Lozada graduated medical school early to support front-line health care workers under New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s emergency executive order. Within weeks, she said, her classmates were also organizing to help the community. “Mount Sinai’s medical students implemented teams to carry out telehealth visits, assist hospital pharmacies, distribute personal protective equipment to our staff and communities, and much more. I and many of my extraordinary classmates woke up each morning with an important job to do.” She told the incoming students, “Being a medical student is powerful. It’s honorable. It’s invaluable. You are now in a position to use your incredible intelligence, empathy, diversity, cultural competence, and your mighty will to make a real difference in our community. Your white coat will give you an admission ticket to the most incredible and complex field in the world.”
In several ways, Mount Sinai’s 23rd White Coat Ceremony was a marked departure from years past. Traditionally, the event is held on the medical school campus in Stern Auditorium. But this year, the students themselves have been attending classes remotely. The White Coat Ceremony included videos of each student putting on their white coat for the first time, in their living rooms surrounded by family, or in backyards or local parks near their homes. The event also included video clips of the students explaining what the white coat means to them.
Richard Friedman, Co-Chairman of the Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, welcomed the students and told them, “Now is an auspicious moment to be at Mount Sinai, not only because of our COVID-19 response but also because of the pace of discovery in our laboratories.” He said, “Society has new appreciation for the hard work required to become a doctor and the dedication to care for people at the worst moments of their lives. Mount Sinai front-line workers bravely treated a constant flow of COVID-19 patients. They saved thousands of lives. This is what medicine is all about. This is why you’ve chosen to be here; to make a difference in the world.”
Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System, said, “This has been a year unlike any other. A year of suffering and survival, a year that has seen some of the worst days and some of the best days of humanity. You could not be joining us at a more important time. Our profession needs you. Our patients need you. Our country needs you.” Mount Sinai’s mission, he said, “is to maximize your potential, to give you the space to find your passion and support you from the moment you put on your white coat and throughout your career. What will you do with that opportunity? It’s all in your hands.”
Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System, said, “Today, as you don your white coat, this seemingly simple act carries enormous symbolism. Participating in today’s White Coat Ceremony is a testament to your determination to literally change the world of medicine and scientific discovery. While our clinicians battled COVID-19 on the front lines, our scientists tirelessly studied the virus and worked closely with our clinicians to find better ways of fighting this deadly virus. They made fundamental discoveries that improved outcomes and saved lives, such as developing the world’s best antibody assay and identifying anticoagulation therapies, convalescent plasma, and by monitoring the immune response. Our people worked through their exhaustion and their fear, and they did not stand down. They are heroes in every sense of the word. These same amazing people will be your teachers, your mentors, and your role models. This is your Mount Sinai.”
Ms. Quigley picked out a bare plot and cleared it of debris. Then she started decorating rocks with acrylic markers and placing them on the ground in a makeshift memorial. At that point, she asked the hospital chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Rachelle Zazzu, MA, DDS, to seek official permission for the project and help reach out to volunteers. The idea quickly took hold. Ms. Quigley says Donna Smith Jordan, Assistant Director of Emergency Medicine, and Jeofrey Gacad, unit clerk in the ED, were instrumental in spreading the word. Most of the rocks are supplied by Diane Lydon, unit clerk in the ED, who brings them back from the Neversink River in the Catskills.
“All are welcome to bring a rock to the garden to remember someone who has passed or leave a message of optimism for the future,” Caryn A. Schwab, Executive Director of Mount Sinai Queens, and Jill Goldstein, MA, MS, RN, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, said in a message announcing the event.
