SOM Class of 2028 Marks Milestone as Clinical Training Begins

As they once again recited the oath they created for their White Coat Ceremony, the now third-year medical students prepared to step into their clinical rotations later that afternoon across NYMC’s more than 30 affiliated sites.    

Dean of Students Jane Ponterio, M.D. ’81, welcomed everyone to the ceremony. “I’m so glad to be here with you today to mark such an important moment in your training,” she said. “Moving today into full-time clinical work is a big step, and we take this chance to pause and recognize everything you’ve already accomplished. As you head into your clinical sites, remember that medicine is about more than what you know or what you can do; it’s about how you show up for patients, how you work with your colleagues, and how you take care of yourselves along the way.”

The keynote address was delivered by Lillian Huang, SOM Class of 2026, this year’s recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. Reflecting on some of the conditions she’d seen firsthand in her clinical years, she recalled saying ‘cool’ on seeing a hiatal hernia for the first time and her attending replying, ‘Well, not for the patient.’ 

“That moment stuck with me,” recalled Huang, who will begin her internal medicine residency at Boston University Medical Center in July. “I think there's this simultaneous truth between what's fascinating clinically and what's lived personally. That's something that third year forces you to confront quickly, and it’s reflected in your white coats. Your white coats represent your professional identity and commitment to medicine, as well as your patients' hopes and their fears. Your white coats mean that your team will ask you what you think the patient plan will be. It means that your patients will share things with you that they haven't told anyone else yet. You won't always feel ready in these situations, but you don't have to feel ready to make a difference.”

Offering her advice to her fellow students, Huang continued, “Do your best. Your best is not a fixed point. It can change, depending on the day, the rotation, how much sleep you got, and how unfamiliar the situation is. In third year, it will change constantly. Some days, your best will look like a strong differential, a crisp presentation, and everything clicks. Other days, you might miss all the questions you get asked on rounds, but to also have really good conversations with your patients… Show up for your patients, your team, and yourselves, and support each other as much as you can. Because if you want a village, you have to be a villager.” 

The GHHS Student Clinician Ceremony was also an opportunity to recognize six residents chosen by the SOM Class of 2027 with Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Awards for their exceptional teaching skills and commitment to the compassionate treatment of patients and families, students, and colleagues. This year’s honorees included:  

Aishat Abdul, M.D., PGY-1
Internal Medicine, St. Michael’s Medical Center

Ahmed Bayoumy, M.D., PGY-2
Pediatrics, Richmond University Medical Center

Khaled El-Qawaqzeh, M.D., PGY-3
Surgery, Westchester Medical Center

Yakira Mishan, M.D., PGY-2
Neurology, Westchester Medical Center

Ashley Silver, M.D., PGY-3
OBGYN, Westchester Medical Center

Zachary Weiss, M.D. ’24, PGY-2
Psychiatry, Westchester Medical Center

The event concluded with closing remarks by Audrey Huang, SOM Class of 2026, the co-president of the NYMC GHHS chapter. “Over the past two years, you’ve built a strong foundation in the classroom, and today you’re stepping into a very different kind of learning. You’re moving beyond studying medicine to practicing it—caring for real people with fears, hopes, stories, and families that matter deeply to them,” she said. “It’s an exciting transition, and also one that naturally brings a sense of humility as you take on that responsibility…You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to show up, stay open to learning, and keep trying. In the end, growth has less to do with getting everything right and more to do with how you respond when you don’t.

“Humanism in medicine is rarely about grand gestures. It almost always lives in the small acts, moments that can be missed if you’re moving too fast. It’s introducing yourself again because a patient has seen so many faces during their stay that the names start to blur. It’s adjusting the blinds when you’re pre-rounding so the patient is not staring into the morning light. It’s pausing to hold a patient’s hand when they tell you they’re scared. As you begin this next chapter, I hope you remember that these actions matter more than they may seem in the moment. When things feel overwhelming, slow down just enough to really see the person in front of you.”