Springtime in New York City can be exhilarating. And at Weill Cornell Medicine, it coincides with some very special events:
Commencement – On May 11, our colleagues in Qatar celebrated their fifteenth graduating class of physicians. Forty-one doctors, including 12 who are Qatari nationals, received their degrees, bringing the total number of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar’s alumni to 504 since its first graduation ceremony in 2008.
On Thursday, May 19 at 12 pm, Weill Cornell Medicine’s newest doctors, scientists, and healthcare professionals received their degrees. We were excited to be back in Carnegie Hall for the ceremony. Videos, photos, and stories are available at: https://weill.cornell.edu/graduation.
We are incredibly proud of our graduating students, who have shown exceptional flexibility, creativity, and resilience during their time at Weill Cornell Medicine. Many congratulations to the Class of 2022, our future leaders in healthcare and biomedical science!
Diversity Week – Held each year at the end of April, Diversity Week reflects our shared commitment to building a welcoming and inclusive environment for members of our diverse community. Our fourth annual Diversity Week brought together faculty, staff, students, and thought leaders at more than forty lectures, conferences, and activities.
We were especially honored to be joined by New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett and by keynote speakers Dr. James Gavin, III, chief medical officer of Healing Our Village, Inc., and Dr. Carol Bradford, dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine. A dozen members of our community were honored for their outstanding efforts to enhance our culture of diversity. While Diversity Week is certainly a high point of the year, so many of us, in our different and unique ways, strive to make our communities safer, healthier, and more equitable, day in and day out – thank you!
We’re Changing Medicine Community Celebration – Launched publicly a year ago in June, our We’re Changing Medicine fundraising campaign has raised more than $885 million toward its $1.5 billion goal. We’re Changing Medicine will impact all aspects of our mission to care, discover, and teach. Our nearest-term fundraising priorities include a new student residence, to be constructed at the corner of East 74th Street and York Avenue, and our debt-free scholarship program for all medical students with financial need.
This is an extraordinary time within academic medicine. There are so many opportunities to strengthen our healthcare systems, address inequities in care, and promote the health of patients and populations. Many activities and initiatives are taking place throughout Weill Cornell Medicine, and I thank you so much for your dedication and support.
Sincerely,
Augustine M.K. Choi, MD
Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean
Weill Cornell Medicine
Provost for Medical Affairs
Cornell University