David C. Thomas, MD, MS, MHPE, Dean of Medical Education and Chair for the Department of Medical Education, the Icahn School, told students that his white coat continues to serve as an important reminder of his responsibility to his patients.

“I still, today, am in awe, wearing my white coat as I see patients. It is a privilege that we uniquely have, and links us to an incredible profession going back hundreds of years,” said Dean Thomas. “My coat, like yours, reminds me of my journey, my sacrifice, and my commitment to medicine. Today, I pledge with you to uphold the tenets of our profession, and today, with you, will bear witness to your rite of passage to our wonderful profession,” he said.

Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, the Icahn School, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System, reflected on advancements in medicine since he was a first-year medical student 50 years ago, and encouraged students to imagine what would be possible in their careers.

“Many of you will become clinicians. You’ll be able to apply new technologies to improve diagnosis so that disease can be caught earlier and be treated more effectively. Others of you will become researchers. You will extend the boundaries of science to find new therapies. And some of you will become health care leaders and policymakers who can build a more comprehensive and equitable health care system here in the United States and around the world. Wherever your paths lead, over the next decades, you will create the future,” said Dean Charney. 

Many in the incoming class graduated high school and attended college during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, missing out on most developmental and celebratory milestones, noted Valerie Parkas, MD, Senior Associate Dean of Admissions and Recruitment, Interim Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs, and Professor of Medicine and Medical Education, the Icahn School. “You have stood up and said, ‘I will arm myself with the tool of medical education and stand proud and stubbornly optimistic and advocate for patients and communities despite all these crises.’ You are living through the history of medicine and not backing down. We commend you,” she said.

Echoing the sentiments that we live in a complex and divided time, Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer, Professor and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair, Mount Sinai Health System, congratulated students on taking the next step in their education and reminded them of the gravity of their commitment. “What we need are leaders who believe that service and sacrifice are sacred callings and know how to find solutions even in uncertainty, who see hurting and hardship and respond with hope and humanity. That’s the heart of the oath that you‘ll take today,” said Dr. Carr.

Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chair of the Mount Sinai Health System Board of Trustees, congratulated students on beginning their medical training at an institution founded on the principles of treating all patients regardless of background. “I’m certain it will be gratifying, particularly because your generation is so focused on mission and purpose. Healing a patient is satisfying. Healing a patient with compassionate care is truly fulfilling,” he said.

In the keynote address, Christian A. Pean, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Core Faculty Member at Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, Duke University School of Medicine, CEO and Co-founder of RevelAi Health, spoke on the theme of purpose, perseverance, and perspective. The 2016 graduate of the Icahn School urged students to stay focused on those qualities over the course of their time at medical school and throughout their careers. “Embrace this journey ahead of you, it is an incredible one. I want you to be filled with passion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to your purpose,” said Dr. Pean. The Icahn School’s White Coat keynote address is dedicated to the late Hans Popper, MD, PhD, a world-renowned physician and academic leader who served as the School's first Dean for Academic Affairs.

After receiving their white coats, students recited an oath they drafted and ratified that reflects their professional ideals. The oath was led by Elizabeth Singer, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, and Global Health, and Medical Education, and Executive Director of the Mount Sinai Human Rights Program, the Icahn School. Students pledged to devote themselves to “lifelong learning, dynamic thinking, empathetic doing, and unyielding advocacy.” They also promised “to avoid complacency and stand up for justice in our communities” and “tackle inevitable challenges with tenacity and persistent optimism.”

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai selected the Class of 2028 from a pool of 7,138 applicants.he new students, ranging in age from 20 to 29, represent a breadth of diversity and experiences: 21 percent identify as being from backgrounds historically underrepresented in medicine and 48 percent are women. The students are alumni of 55 undergraduate institutions, with majors in science, humanities, and the arts.