Students Honor Those Who Teach Beyond Their Lifetime During Convocation of Thanks

Krishna Sai Koka, SOM Class of 2029, offered opening remarks. “For many of us, [your loved ones] were our first teachers in medicine. They taught us in a way that no lecturer ever could. They taught us that behind every structure is a story that we cannot fully see, that each body carries a life far larger than our understanding, and that to learn medicine is not only to gain knowledge, but to inherit responsibility,” said Koka. “Today's not just a ceremony. It is a moment of recognition. For the time and generosity, that's difficult to put into words. Because to donate one's body is not simply an act of giving, it's an act of belief. A belief that learning matters, that future patients matter, but even after life ends, one can still shape the lives of others.”

Ian Ghasemian, SOM Class of 2029, performed Chopin’s “Nocturnes Op. 9 No. 1 in B-Flat Minor” on the keyboard. Expressing both their gratitude and their field of study, speech-language pathology students presented a video pairing spoken reflections with sign language.

After sharing Sylvia Plath’s poem, “Admonition,” Julia Smith, SOM Class of 2029, observed that “Anatomy lab is a landmark of medical education that unites physicians from all walks of life… Thanks to our donors, when we encounter a patient with right-sided abdominal pain, we will be able to form a differential diagnosis based on the mental map of the abdomen that our donors allowed us to create. When we evaluate a patient with a left fracture, we will be able to recall which blood vessels and nerves we need to protect first. Our donors form the bedrock of the expansive knowledge base that we will utilize and build on for the rest of our medical careers.”

Mackenzie O’Reilly, SOM Class of 2029, wrote a poem about her donor. “Without Barbara, I would not be able to explain the complexity that is the vasculature of the foot, bringing blood all the way to the toes she had painted with a pearly purple nail color,” she read in part. “Without Barbara, I would not be able to describe the muscles of the face that allow us all to smile as we reminisce on our time with her and reflect on the powerful donation she made for our education. Without Barbara, I would not be half the medical student I am today. Barbara was my first patient, and above all, my first and most powerful teacher. For her and her family, I will always be grateful and never forget.”

Though Yehuda Tanen, SOM Class of 2029, expected his White Coat Ceremony to be the pinnacle moment when he truly felt like a medical student, he reflected on how he found it somewhat underwhelming—until a different realization took hold. “I realized that during those early mornings [in anatomy lab] I spent trying to understand the beautiful complexity of the human body, I had already crossed that invisible line. I had already become a medical student. And the reason that I was able to do that was because someone believed that I was worthy enough to receive the final gift that they could offer. The gift of allowing their body to be our teacher,” he said.

Darienne Rogers, SOM Class of 2029, recalled entering the anatomy lab for the first time with a mix of nerves and anticipation, but also a sense of unease, unsure how to process such an intimate experience without any connection to the person behind it. That uncertainty shifted when she was finally given a glimpse into his life as a writer, and even purchased his book. After sharing excerpts from his book, she said, “There is a certain beauty in connecting with a person through the words that they've written on a page. But now, today, we get the chance to speak with you, those who knew our donors in real life. We get to try to illustrate our deep gratitude for the impact that your families have left on us as future physicians and as humans. We get to reassure you that their extraordinary acts of generosity have paved the path for each of us to go on and influence others.”

The Convocation concluded with a performance of “Amazing Grace” by NYMC’s a cappella group, The Arrythmias, and the planting of a tree on campus to honor the donors.

“Your loved ones have shaped us in ways that will extend far beyond this moment, into every patient we have, into every decision we make, into every act of care we will offer,” said Koka in closing.  “And to those that we honor, as we leave this space today, we do not leave you behind. You will come with us in the care we take and the attention we give, in the quiet moments, when we remember why this work matters. The gift does not end here. It lives on quietly, continuously, in the ways we will practice, in the ways we will care, in the ways we will remember.”