To all students and postdoctoral trainees of the Weill Cornell Medicine community:
We wanted to reach out directly to echo President Hunter Rawlings’ message to the broader Cornell community.
Please be assured that we are closely following events in Washington, particularly those related to the issuance of executive orders that will impact health care, federal agencies, and most recently immigration. These actions are a cause of concern and uncertainty, and we want to emphasize that Weill Cornell Medicine’s leadership is committed to understanding the potential implications for all members of our community.
Weill Cornell Medicine in New York includes a number of students, visiting students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty who are affected by the executive order on immigration. In addition, we have students from Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar who hold passports from the countries named in the order, some of whom are applying for residency matching programs in the U.S. this spring or who need to complete licensing examinations and clinical electives in New York.
Our administration will do everything possible to support and advocate for our current students and trainees, as well as those we hope will join us as members of future entering classes. We are in constant contact with our offices in Washington and will continue to work with them to advocate for inclusivity and support for our educational mission as events unfold.
On a very practical level, we are advising community members and visiting scholars who are from the countries named in the recent immigration order to suspend plans for international travel. We urge postdoctoral fellows seeking further guidance to contact our Immigration Office and students to contact the Graduate School Director of Diversity and Student Services. We will keep you informed as we learn more.
At times like this, it is also important that we support and care for one another. We encourage you to reach out to peers and mentors for support and to contact additional resources available to you if you feel it would be useful. Please care for yourself during this time of uncertainty and be assured that Weill Cornell Medicine’s leadership team supports each of you as you pursue your educational dreams.
Sincerely,
Augustine M.K. Choi, MD, Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean, Weill Cornell Medicine
Javaid I. Sheikh, MD, Dean, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar
Barbara Hempstead, MD, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Education, Weill Cornell Medicine
Gary Koretzky, MD, PhD, Dean, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences
Olaf S. Andersen, MD, Director, Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program