News and Events

Annual Events

College-Wide Events

			Commencement New York Medical College holds its formal graduation ceremony once a year. Diplomas are awarded at this time and a special commencement speaker addresses the graduating classes from the School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences and Practice, Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Touro College of Dental Medicine.

			Holocaust Remembrance Yom HaShoah (יום השואה), known in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews and five million others who perished in the Holocaust as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accessories, and for the Jewish resistance in that period.*

Annual SOM Events

‌			Match Day On the third Thursday of March each year at 12:00 p.m. eastern time, medical school seniors across the country receive their official letter from the National Residency Match Program, learning where they will be doing their residency training. NYMC seniors celebrate this annual rite of passage in the Medical Education Center in a boisterous, emotional gathering, sharing this significant milestone in their lives with each other.

‌			Transition Programs To ensure our students understand what lies ahead and are equipped with the knowledge and information they need to progress smoothly from year to year, the NYMC School of Medicine offers extensive transition programs for incoming medical students; second-year students transitioning to third-year clerkships; and fourth-year students transitioning to residencies.

			White Coat The annual White Coat Ceremony—at which first-year medical students don their white coats for the first time and recite the Medical School oath—celebrates the start of medical school studies and recognizes the incoming class’ commitment to the responsibilities and expectations of their profession and to the care of their future patients.

			NY Med Talks NY Med Talks is a one-day, student-run, interdisciplinary and inter-professional event designed to expose health care students to topics outside of the academic curriculum. NY Med Talks features a variety of guests— from speakers in basic sciences and translational research to public health professionals—who offer students insight into the contemporary activities of practitioners across the field. NY Med Talks is a county-wide event and includes all NYMC Schools as well as other local institutions.

			Medical Student Research Forum The Medical Student Research Forum is an annual event designed to educate and support medical students and physicians in the discipline of scientific research. The event includes a renowned keynote speaker as well as poster and oral presentations by medical students. The Forum seeks to highlight the relationship between medical research and the practice of medicine, which enables physician-scientists to more thoroughly serve patients and the community.

			Solidarity Day for Compassionate Care The School of Medicine joins nearly 100 other institutions around the country in observing Solidarity Day for Compassionate Care, traditionally held around Valentine’s Day. The day, founded by the Gold Humanism Honor Society, is marked by a celebration where medical schools, patient care institutions and other organizations demonstrate the importance of kindness to patients. At NYMC, our students have adopted the “Take Five Minutes” tradition—in which every participating medical student, resident, and physician takes five extra minutes to talk with a patient about something entirely unrelated to medicine.

			Honors Day The Student Clinician Ceremony celebrates a new chapter in the medical education of the third-year class—the clinical years. The ceremony was created by Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) to provide guidance, information and support to medical students beginning their clerkships. The ceremony also includes the presentation of the GHHS Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Awards to six residents selected by the outgoing third-year class for exhibiting strong teaching skills and being role models for compassionate, relationship-centered care.

‌			Convocation of Thanks The Annual Convocation of Thanks is a forum for first-year medical students to express their gratitude to the families and friends of those who donated their bodies, providing them with one of the most important rites of passage in medical school—the study of human anatomy. Through song, poetry, prose and art, the first-year medical students communicate their indebtedness to the people they did not know in life, yet came to know intimately.

			Alpha Omega Alpha Visiting Professor Lecture and Induction Ceremony Each spring the New York Medical College Iota chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), the national medical honor society, hosts a visiting professor lecture, induction ceremony and banquet celebration. Induction into AOA is reserved for medical students with the highest academic achievements who exhibit good character, leadership and professionalism and a dedication to community service. Alumni, faculty and resident are also honored.

			Gold Humanism Honor Society Induction Ceremony Each spring the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) inducts senior medical students, residents, role-model physician teachers and others who have “demonstrated excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service.” Part of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, the GHHS aims to elevate the values of humanism and professionalism within the field of medicine and promote the ideals of humanism in medicine through community service, mentorship, role-modeling and other initiatives.

Annual SHSP Events

				Doctor of Physical Therapy White Coat Ceremony This ceremony is an important recognition of the readiness of students to make the transition from the classroom to the clinic. Deans, faculty, and alumni share their reflection of the rewards, expectations and obligations in becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and students pledge themselves to the ethical and mindful practice of physical therapy. Each student is assisted by their faculty advisor in donning their first white coat, and all celebrate the success of the students in achieving this professional milestone.

				Race for Rehab The Race for Rehab is an annual 5K run held on the NYMC campus each October. The festive event—which also features student-led warm-ups and a post-race awards ceremony—debuted in 1999 and is hosted by Doctor of Physical Therapy students from the School of Health Sciences and Practice. Proceeds from the race benefit Achilles International, a not-for-profit organization that provides a community of support to athletes with disabilities, using sports as a tool to offer hope, inspiration, and the joy of achievement.

				SHSP Research Day SHSP graduate students present their innovative health projects and scholarly activities, as well as a networking opportunity among students and faculty that celebrates NYMC’s commitment to scientific discovery and appreciation to College and community collaborators. Projects included recently developed health, environmental and policy programs from public health disciplines; novel clinical applications in speech-language pathology and physical therapy; as well as other projects that contribute to scholarship at NYMC.

				Public Health Week Every year during the first full week of April, the Student Healthcare Executives Club (StuHE) and the Department of Public Health in the School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP) organize the celebration of National Public Health Week to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to keeping communities safe and healthy. Public health guest speakers and special events mark the occasion.