Albert Einstein College of Medicine welcomed 165 new medical students to campus earlier this month, introducing them to the Bronx, stressing the importance of their own health and wellness, and reminding them of the physician’s vital role in compassionate care and advancing health equity.

“Medicine is not only a profession but also a calling,” said Yaron Tomer, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein and chief academic officer at Montefiore Einstein. “It is a commitment to serve others, alleviate suffering, heal those in need, and be strong patient advocates. It is contributing to knowledge that will lead to new treatments and cures and improve public health.”

Dean Yaron Tomer, M.D., welcomes students and invited guests to the On Becoming a Physician ceremony.

“We're all here because we care about healthier lives,” added Yoon Kang, M.D., vice dean for education, the Ruth L. Gottesman Chair in Education, and professor of medicine at Einstein. “In medicine, if you're doing your best, you're doing good for another person—someone’s mother, someone's uncle. Each of you is going to make someone's life better.”

Among the participants in the week’s orientation activities were 15 students pursuing both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program, which began its academic year in June. The Graduate Programs in Biomedical Sciences also welcomed 42 new Ph.D. students who launched their academic journey at Einstein with a five-day orientation that included faculty “flash talks” about ongoing research, advice on time management, and “learning to be a scientist” sessions.

Firsts for First-Years

Members of the College of Medicine’s M.D. Class of 2028 are the first to have their full tuition supported by the David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Scholarship Fund. “The scholarship is transformative,” said Ahsan Ahmed, a first-year student who was inspired to enter medicine because he wanted to emulate physicians who helped care for his grandfather. “It allowed me to pursue my passion—this has changed my life and I’m eternally grateful.”

This year's orientation also marked the introduction of the Einstein Learning Communities Program (ECLP), led by Sandra K. Oza, M.D., M.A., assistant dean for learning communities and associate professor of medicine at Einstein, and a general internist at Montefiore's Family Care Center.

Sandra Oza, M.D., with first-year M.D./Ph.D. students.

The 27 learning communities comprise four "houses," each of which has six to seven small groups of M.D. students matched with faculty from a broad range of medical specialties. Faculty in the core learning communities will provide students within and across these academic houses with clinical skills training, mentorship, and career advice during their four years at Einstein.  

“Our learning communities will help foster a strong sense of connection and provide important opportunities for our students to succeed in their professional and personal development as future physicians,” said Dr. Oza.

The week-long orientation enabled students to meet their peers in their learning communities and small groups. They bonded during numerous social events and met Einstein’s deans, learned about the curriculum and the many layers of academic support, and toured Bronx neighborhoods to meet community residents and business owners.

“I wanted to pick a medical school connected to the community, which embodies why I wanted to get into medicine,” said Victoria Cao, a first-year student who praised Einstein and Montefiore’s passion and dedication to improving health and investing in the Bronx. “Einstein students are active in serving the community—we have roots here.”

On Becoming a Physician

Among the high points of the week was the annual On Becoming a Physician ceremony, marking the M.D. students’ formal entry into the medical field. Alumni cloaked the first-year students with monogrammed short white coats generously provided by the Einstein Alumni Association.

The Class of 2028 recite their oath.

Five first-year students—Ms. Cao, Jeremy Weiss, Jalen Crespo, Camille Carthy, and Sarah Liberow—led the class in reciting a class oath that was crafted over several days. Among its tenets: pursuing scientific knowledge, practicing evidence-based medicine, fostering inclusivity, addressing implicit biases and social determinants of health, and promoting health equity.

“This was my first step in learning about what an oath means and continuing to try to be a leader in collaborating with my classmates on something that is going to be an intimate part of our professional lives,” said Mr. Crespo.

Ms. Carthy, an M.D./Ph.D. student interested in neuroscience research, said receiving her white coat “was a surreal moment to take in” as she begins her Einstein academic journey.

“I love being in a lab and being able to problem-solve and think through an experiment—understanding the basic science and how experiments can drive science forward and impact patients,” said Ms. Carthy. “It’s been nice meeting everyone this week, and I’m excited to get to know people better in my classes and small group.”

Class Notes

This year’s M.D. class, including the new M.D./Ph.D. students, represents a diversity of backgrounds and life experiences:

Members of the Class of 2028 celebrate after receiving their white coats.

• Students range in age from 20 to 31, with the average age of 23½.
• 104 of the students (63%) are women and 23 (14%) are from groups traditionally underrepresented in medicine.
• Five students participated in an Einstein pathway program as undergraduates.
• Twenty-seven students (16%) were born outside the United States in countries that include Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Peru, Singapore, and Switzerland.
• Twenty-two states are represented. Seventy-three students (44%) are residents of New York State; four were born in the Bronx.

There are a total of 42 incoming Ph.D. students. Twenty-five (60%) are women and 17 are men. Eleven (26%) are international students and 12 (29%) are from groups underrepresented in science. Almost one-third (13) hold a master’s or other advanced degrees.