Students Express Gratitude to Their First Patients During Convocation of Thanks
Individuals Who Donated Their Bodies to NYMC for Anatomical Studies Were Celebrated Through Reflections, Art, Poetry, and Song
The Convocation of Thanks in Nevins Auditorium on May 2, offered an opportunity for future physicians, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists to pay tribute through reflections, art, song, and poetry to “their first patients,” the individuals who generously donated their bodies to New York Medical College (NYMC) for anatomical studies.
Yecheskel Gold, School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2028, opened the annual event with his own words of gratitude, “Because of the generosity of the donors, we were able to see where the vessels ran, how structures relate to each other, something that a computer program or book couldn’t relate to us, and the knowledge that we gain will hopefully make us better doctors.”
Musical performances were given of “How Great Thou Art” by Uttam Kalluri, SOM Class of 2028, and “You Raise Me Up” by Roger Lacson, SOM Class of 2028, as well as a performance of “Amazing Grace” by the NYMC a cappella group, the Arrhythmias.
Emma Helfrich, School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP) Class of 2026, described her artwork created for the occasion, “The Tree That Keeps on Growing.” “The tree of life is a symbol that represents growth, interconnectedness, and is an overall symbol of life itself. We are all interconnected somehow, and we all learn and grow from each other, which is why I felt that it was appropriate to use the tree of life as a symbol of my learning here at NYMC. The human brain is also one of the most complex structures known in the universe, and that is one thing that we all have in common as well. It's a network of thoughts, memories, and dreams, and it's also our identity….Those we remember today have become a part of that tree, and their generosity nourishes the roots of discovery.”
The Convocation closed with reflections by Alexis Silvera, SOM Class of 2028, who shared, “We spend four years in medical school and more years in residency learning how to avoid what my mentor in palliative care calls ‘a bad death.’ To do that, we must learn. Learn from our professors, learn from our doctors, learn from our peers, textbooks, and third-party resources, but at our very foundation, we learned from the anatomy lab through the unimaginably generous donations of your loved ones. The practical hands-on learning experience in the anatomy lab is unlike anything I've ever experienced before, probably ever will again, and to say thank you, feels like a gesture so small, it's almost a cosmic joke… You were lucky to know them in life, and we were lucky to get to know them in death, and through the gift of their life. It is in part because of this that their memory will continue on.”
Following the convocation, students, and the donors’ families planted a tree on campus as a remembrance of their loved ones’ generosity to NYMC’s future health care professionals.
