Cornell University President Dr. David Skorton applauds the Class of 2009.
Click here for a slideshow of Commencement 2009.
The millions of young men and women who graduated from universities and colleges all across the country this month are entering a professional world facing unparalleled challenges.
The 92 men and women, who on June 2 were granted the degree of doctor of medicine from Weill Cornell Medical College — as well as the 13 MD-PhD, 58 PhD and 17 master's graduates — are certainly no different.
Heba Haddad (center) and her family.
And yet the Weill Cornell graduates who, along with their classmates from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, participated in the 2009 Commencement Exercises on June 2 at Carnegie Hall have distinguished themselves from those millions for having the education, skills, will and determination to meet those challenges head on.
"Weill Cornell Medical College, its faculty, staff, students and alumni must continue to be at the forefront of the nation's public policy debate," said Dr. David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University, in his address to the graduates. "You must think more broadly and creatively on how your efforts can bring help to more people in more places at lower costs. We are enormously proud of you for what you have accomplished and we look to you for your leadership in the future."
Dr. Skorton reminded the graduates that as health care costs continue to rise and the number of uninsured Americans grows, the strategies to combat those problems — an increased focus on primary care, electronic health records, and the continued search for safe, effective therapies for all diseases — are being practiced every day at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the Medical College's medical partner.
Amira El Sherif (second from right) with her sister, father and brother.
Anne Marie Hein, the student speaker from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, intimated that for all she and her classmates have learned along their rigorous academic path, there is much they still do not know and much left to contribute to the worlds of science and discovery.
"Scientific research is the immersion into the unknown," Ms. Hein said. "We may not have found every answer, but we all have been successful in adding our own pieces to the puzzle. Big discoveries are made by asking big questions, accepting the limitations of our own knowledge and wading even deeper into the unknown."
Thomas Neely, the Medical College student chosen by his classmates to speak on their behalf, said that a Weill Cornell Medical College degree is an invitation to accomplish great things.
(From left) Manisha Deb Roy, Amira El Sherif and Nancy Abdel Malak.
"Fellow doctors, let's do good. Let's do well to better this profession we have chosen and sacrificed greatly to be part of," he said.
The evening before commencement, the visiting Qatar students gathered with friends, family and Weill Cornell faculty at The 620 Loft and Garden at Rockefeller Center for a celebratory dinner. All the Qatar students that applied for residency matched to top-flight programs, just as their Weill Cornell colleagues did. Two students elected to spend a year doing research.
Elizabeth Triche receives her degree from Dr. Carol Storey-Johnson.
"As you proceed and pursue your specialties, you'll find that you are learning new languages, new skills," said Dr. Javaid I. Sheikh, interim dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, to the students. "There is the potential to become very insulated. But I must ask you to be very mindful of keeping a broad perspective. Take the time to look up at your environment and spend time with your family and friends. This will make you better people, better friends and better doctors."
The commencement exercise also honored two distinguished members of the Medical College and Graduate School alumni. Col. Geoffrey Ling, M.D., Ph.D., class of 1982, received the Graduate School's alumni award of distinction. John Ross Jr., M.D., class of 1955, was so honored by the Medical College Alumni Association.
Photography by Amelia Panico