Dennis S. Charney, MD, at Commencement: A Final Address, a Career to Remember

Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, giving the Commencement address

In the 18 years that Dennis S. Charney, MD, has served as the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, he has often applauded the achievements of graduating students during Commencement while calling upon them to be resilient during difficult times.

On Thursday, May 8, at the School’s 56th Commencement, the message of resilience resounded, but this time more aptly so—this was Dr. Charney’s last Commencement speech, and he reflected upon how staying the course in the face of challenges rang true throughout his life and career.

“Our school has faced hurdles along the way,” Dr. Charney told the crowd at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. He described the institution having to overcome its financial difficulties in 2003, navigating the Great Recession in 2008, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Yes, these are challenges, but we have prevailed in the past. And we shall prevail again,” he said.

In his final address as Dean, Dr. Charney imparted some wisdom to the Class of 2025. Here’s a look at the themes he brought up.

“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal.”

Even as students, the Class of 2025 has made an impact. They have made important scientific discoveries about human disease, been passionate advocates for human rights, and shown potential to be exceptional physicians and scientists, said Dr. Charney.

However, the challenges do not stop once they leave the Icahn School. “You will face situations when you cannot heal a patient, or worse, where you cannot save a patient,” he said. “You will experience disappointment along the way as you try to make scientific breakthroughs. You may even experience skepticism and ridicule.”

Staying resilient in the face of challenges will be key. “What matters is how you meet disappointment and failure—which is far more important than how you embrace success,” said Dr. Charney. “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts,” he said, quoting Winston Churchill.

Active medical and graduate students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, along with some teaching and research faculty, now have comprehensive access to ChatGPT through the School. Compared to free users, they’ll be able to make more complex queries with fewer limits, especially regarding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and benefit from enhanced privacy protections.

The Icahn School announced, in May, that it has inked an agreement with OpenAI for an educational license—dubbed ChatGPT Edu—of OpenAI’s products. While a number of universities are using ChatGPT Edu, this agreement makes the Icahn School the first medical school partner in the nation, according to OpenAI.

“At Mount Sinai, we believe it’s our responsibility not just to adopt emerging technologies, but to do so with care, purpose, and a strong commitment to equity and academic integrity,” said David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE, Dean for Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine.

“This initiative is the result of a close collaboration between the Scholarly and Research Technologies team, the Department of Medical Education, Graduate School leadership, and OpenAI,” says Marta Filizola, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She added that the Levy Library team has developed educational content and workshops to support students, faculty, and staff in effectively using ChatGPT Edu and integrating AI into academic learning, research, and scholarly activities.

What’s contained in this license, and what do those features spell for our users? Read on to learn more.

Access to advanced models

OpenAI offers a range of models to handle different types of tasks. Through the educational license, users can access them via ChatGPT.com. The following bullets describe the models available to Icahn School of Medicine users, and the table below summarizes specifications at a glance. The following information is current as of June 2025, but may change in the future as OpenAI models can change rapidly.

• GPT-4o: This is OpenAI’s flagship model, the one most consumers are familiar with, and starts up by default on the ChatGPT Edu license. This model of reasoning is grounded in unsupervised learning, and is capable of processing text, images, file uploads, and voice for input and output. Tasks this model is good at include summarizing meetings into actionable notes, drafting copy, proofreading, and coming up with new angles and ideas.
• GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1-mini: A specialized model for coding and tasks that need precise, step-by-step instructions. This model is helpful for front-end coding, such as developing web applications, debugging, explaining, and improving code, or comparing long reports while focusing on specific factors. The mini version trades off processing capability for speed, and is ideal for people who need quicker answers for simpler problems about coding.
• The o-series: These are advanced models of reasoning, designed to deliberate and produce a “chain of thought” before generating answers. Its deliberation process is supposed to provide better-quality output, with lower levels of hallucinations. It is described as being “ideal for complex queries requiring multifaceted analysis and whose answers may not be immediately obvious.”
  • o3: With a knowledge base specialization in STEM, this model is suited for advanced math, science, and coding tasks, detailed analysis, devising strategy, and visual reasoning.
  • o4-mini, o4-mini-high: The model to use if one needs the STEM expertise and deliberative reasoning, but quicker answers. The o4-mini model can provide quick summaries of scientific articles or extract key points from an Excel spreadsheet, and the o4-mini-high model is capable of more complex tasks, albeit more narrowly than the o3 model in terms of subject expertise.
• GPT-4.5: Intended to serve as a bridge between GPT-4o and its eventual successor, GPT-5, this model draws from both unsupervised learning and the “chain of thought” reasoning that the o-series models use. It was touted as being fine-tuned to understand human needs and intents better, and for better collaboration with the user. This model will be phased out later this year, in favor of GPT-4.1, as announced by OpenAI.

Privacy, data safety, and ethics guardrails

Personal health information, sensitive information, and student data are safeguarded via a data privacy and business associate agreement between the Icahn School and OpenAI.

This means that no data, prompts, or responses will be used to train OpenAI’s models when using a ChatGPT Edu account through the Icahn School. The guardrails implementation was guided by Research and Education leadership, Cybersecurity, Compliance, and Legal teams, alongside the AI Steering Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Discoveries.

Community sharing of custom-build applications

Users can create customized resources for specific tasks—such as a flash card study guide for biochemistry—known as GPTs. Icahn School of Medicine ChatGPT Edu users can share the GPTs they’ve built on the Explore GPTs community page with other users, as well as access OpenAI’s official GPTs. However, they can’t access GPTs built by public users. This ensures a safe and secure space that supports collaboration while following Mount Sinai’s security standards.

“ChatGPT is just a great way to establish the baseline for what I want to say how I want to approach the patient,” said Joy Jiang, MD/PhD student, about how she used the AI tool during a mock patient simulation exam, in an interview segment on CBS Saturday Morning.

Watch how various students from the Icahn School of Medicine are using ChatGPT to bring their education to the next level in the segment below.

After years of medical and scientific learning, Thursday, May 8, was a day the class of 2025 of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai had been waiting for: Commencement. Held at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, the ceremony served as a reminder for the graduating students that they had overcome great odds to receive their diplomas.

Many in this class started their education amid great challenges—the COVID-19 pandemic was still going on, noted Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine. And even after they graduate, there will be more challenges to face in residency and postdoctoral training, he said.

The Icahn School granted a total of 173 degrees at the 56th Commencement: 95 MD, 55 PhD, 13 MD/PhD, four MD/MPH, and six MD/MSCR.

“What matters is how you meet disappointment and failure—which is far more important than how you embrace success,” said Dr. Charney. “To thrive, personally and professionally, you will have to accept disappointment and failure, learn from it, and move forward.”

The graduates will also be entering a political climate that has cast uncertainty over scientific progress, said Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, who will become Interim Dean of the Icahn School when Dr. Charney steps down as Dean at the end of June.

“Disease knows no political party—it can strike anyone. As physicians and scientists, our allegiance is to humanity—to apply biomedical research to better understand disease so that we can end suffering, heal patients, and save lives,” said Dr. Nestler. “Science should not be politicized—not by the left, or by the right. Ever.”

The student speakers called upon their graduating class to draw courage as they step into a daunting future, but also to hold compassion for others and themselves.

“As we transition from students to doctors, let’s carry forward not just what we’ve learned, but how we’ve learned to think. The world doesn’t need more impressive credentials; it needs people who can navigate complexity with both intellectual rigor and humanity,” said graduating student Anina Lund, who represented the PhD class.

“And at the crossroads of patient care, we face a question: What kind of doctors will we be?” said graduating student Dorothy Adu-Amankwah, who represented the MD class. “The answer will look different for each of us. But at the core, I hope we choose to be doctors who embrace the gift of listening—because listening is the foundation of healing. And as we listen, may we also speak—and advocate—for those whose voices have been silenced by systems, by structures, and by history.”

In the slideshow below, we’ve gathered the stories of 10 graduating students on why they chose to enter the medical and research profession, and how their time at the Icahn School has shaped them.

“I hope to integrate these skills with my clinical and surgical training to identify gaps in violence prevention, particularly in areas touching New York—such as subway surfing, gun violence, and motorbike injuries—and improve outreach to the most affected populations.” – Ashley Brown, MHA and MD student

Ashley Brown is a second-year student in the Master of Health Administration program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she is also completing requirements toward her medical degree.

She received a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University in 2018, where she majored in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies focusing on reproductive justice in communities of color. She also completed a pre-medicine post-baccalaureate program at Fordham University in 2020, and then had a wide choice of medical schools. Two years after beginning her MD degree, she joined the MHA program in September 2024. She expects to complete the MHA program in June and complete the MD program in May 2026. Then she hopes to embark on a career in surgery and help others in need in her hometown of New York City.

Her interest in trauma medicine and public health began when she was a teenager, including a memorable introduction working with the local ambulance squad as a volunteer. In this Q&A, she explains how her quest led to Mount Sinai.

Why did you choose the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the Icahn School of Medicine?

At fourteen, I stood in the back of an ambulance for the first time, sweating as a paramedic swapped me out for the next round of compressions. I had joined my local ambulance center as a junior volunteer, eager to learn how hands could save lives—unaware it would spark a lifelong passion for acute care and trauma.

At Emory, I majored in gender studies to better understand health disparities and to develop the language needed to communicate those disparities.

With my interest in urgent care and addressing social determinants of health, I was drawn to the Icahn School of Medicine for its commitment to training future leaders. Working alongside pioneers in the field taught me the weight of that mission. Exposure to cutting-edge research and practice has deepened my drive to uncover and address the root causes of care disparities, preparing me for the next stage of training.

Driven by a passion for urgent care and health equity, I was drawn to the Icahn School of Medicine not only for its leadership in research and clinical innovation but also for its commitment to equity, right in the heart of my home—New York City. It was here that I first donned a white coat, surrounded by pioneers in various fields dedicated to advancing health care while committing to health equity. Consistent exposure—and collaboration—with providers and researchers at the forefront of both medicine and advocacy has deepened my understanding of health care disparities and prepared me to address them in the next stage of my training.

How do you think an MHA will enhance your career in medicine?

The MHA program has been one of the most formative experiences of my graduate education. It helped me define my leadership style, learn from health care administrators, and strengthen my quality improvement skills through a capstone project exploring how language preference affects follow-up rates. Courses in health care promotion, policy, and health IT, along with strong mentorship, have taught me how to better communicate with the public using tools like apps, AI, and strategic messaging. In the next chapter, I hope to integrate these skills with my clinical and surgical training to identify gaps in violence prevention, particularly in areas touching New York—such as subway surfing, gun violence, and motorbike injuries—and improve outreach to the most affected populations. As my career progresses, I aim to step into leadership roles where I can leverage my expertise in quality improvement, stakeholder engagement, and policy to drive meaningful, large-scale change in communities disproportionately affected by violence.

What are some of your achievements in the MHA program so far?

One of my most meaningful achievements of the MHA so far has been leading my capstone project that examines how language preference influences follow-up rates at Mount Sinai Morningside. This is the first time I have led a research team as a principal investigator. This project has allowed me to directly apply what I have learned in the project management course and tie in quality improvement methodologies covered in various class to address real-world disparities in care. The MHA helped me identify my leadership style and strengthen my ability to collaborate across interdisciplinary teams through effective communication. My capstone project has helped me apply these leadership skills in a group context.

What activities outside the classroom have contributed to your success in these programs?

The successful completion of this MHA program would not have been possible without Dean Charney’s support of the Leadership in Healthcare Equity and Administration Scholar Program, which enabled Dr. Yvette Calderon and Dr. Brian Nickerson to oversee and guide this initiative. The mentorship and guidance of Dr. Calderon, Dr. Nickerson, and Herb Lopez, a program manager, were instrumental, as they supported me through every step of this journey. I am also deeply grateful to the medical school and this program for providing the funding and resources that made it possible for me to benefit from such a transformative experience.

In a similar way, activities outside this program that I feel have contributed largely to my success include collaborations with my classmates. These collaborations have not only broadened my perspectives but also strengthened my ability to connect clinical care with administrative strategies. Engaging with classmates in discussions around health equity and actively contributing to projects and conversations centered on marginalized communities has been especially important. Through these experiences, I feel that I am walking away with a much more developed understanding of the health care system as a whole and a clearer sense of the different roles that individuals occupy within it.

What advice would you give to prospective students considering the MD or MHA programs?

Advice that I would give to prospective students considering the MD or MHA program is to:

• Find your learning style and understand that, unlike undergraduate education, what you put into graduate school will ultimately determine how much you get out of it at the end of the day.
• Value every moment and prioritize the people around you. Engage your professors and mentors early, because they will help guide you to opportunities that you didn’t even know existed.
• Continue to expand your network, since your classmates today may be your colleagues, consultants, and even administrators in the future; get to know them on a deeper level by going out to lunch or starting a GroupMe that helps to develop camaraderie. When times get tough, you realize that it is the community around you that will lift you up and motivate you when times get tough.

What are your plans upon completing your MD and MHA programs?

Upon completing both my MHA and MD programs, I hope to move on to the next phase of my training by entering a general surgery residency program. During residency, I aspire to continue developing my leadership skills by taking on roles that involve educating and mentoring medical students, with the goal of eventually serving as a chief resident in my final year. Throughout these next few years, I plan to continue integrating my expanding knowledge of surgical management with my commitment to understanding and addressing the challenges faced by patients who often fall through the cracks of violence prevention efforts. Following residency, I hope to further this trajectory by pursuing a trauma surgery fellowship, which will best position me to continue addressing social determinants of health on a broader scale. My ultimate goal is to lead departments that not only provide excellent clinical care but also play an active role in shaping policies and engaging stakeholders to create a safer and more just world, particularly for those living at the margins of society.