The White Coat Ceremony at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) is a rite of passage for beginning medical students that marks their official entry into professional training. During the ceremony, the students receive their first white coats from distinguished members of the School’s faculty, a solemn confirmation of the students’ commitment to professionalism, excellence, and empathy as they embark on their medical careers.
White Coat Ceremony 2022
On Tuesday, September 13, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai welcomed 120 first-year medical students to the Class of 2026, during the School’s twenty-fifth annual White Coat Ceremony. Held at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the ceremony celebrated the Class of 2026 as they welcome a new journey as physicians and scientists.
Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System; and Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System provided the ceremony’s opening remarks to the class. They both acknowledged that despite the uncertainty of the world, the Class of 2026 would become thoughtful clinicians and researchers, of whom the future of medicine will depend on for their creativity and optimism on the front lines. Dean Charney intimated his confidence that the training provided at the School will remind the incoming class that ‘rising to the occasion for discovery and solutions is the norm at Mount Sinai—not the exception.’ Encouraging the class to remember what drew them to medicine, Dean Charney reminded the new students that they will be afforded the opportunity to make the symbolism of the white coat a reality: “We need you to dream big and aim high. We need ambitious innovators; people who are dissatisfied with the status quo because medicine is not all it can and should be.”
Since 2018, the Icahn School of Medicine has dedicated the White Coat Ceremony’s Keynote Speaker presentation to the late Hans Popper, MD, PhD—a world-renowned physician and academic leader who was President and Dean Emeritus of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. This year, the School bestowed that honor to Victor, Sta. Ana, MD, FAAFP, Director for Mount Sinai’s Primary Care scholars Program, and the School’s Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health. In a moment of reflection, Dr. Sta. Ana shared what he and his colleagues relearned through the isolation, grief, and continued practice of medicine during the pandemic: the power of compassion and connection. In his closing lines, Dr. Sta. Ana reminded the class that the ‘perfectly crisp and clean white coats’ they receive, will eventually become wrinkled and messy—as will their journey on the path of their medical careers. He urged the class to remember that ‘within these imperfections, the meaning of medicine is found.’
Days prior to the ceremony, the Class of 2026 created their own Student Oath. As in previous years, the Class of 2026’s oath reflects the School’s core mission of advocacy, humanism, and excellence in patient care. . Throughout their medical careers, the Class of 2026 promises to: ‘learn for and from their patients, colleagues, and communities with openness; to leverage their privilege and knowledge to improve high-quality, equitable care; to combat present injustices and dismantle systems of oppression,’ and more. During the ceremony, Lisa Eiland, MD, FAAFP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics led the class in a recitation of their oath.
The School selected the Class of 2026 from a pool of 6,764 applicants, from which the Admissions team interviewed over 660. The new students, whose ages range from 21 to 32, represent diverse backgrounds and experiences: 31 percent identify as underrepresented in medicine (URM), and 53 percent are women. They are alumni of 55 college institutions, with majors in science, the humanities, and the arts.
Ceremony Programs
The 2022 White Coat Ceremony program is available to view and download.