Every medical school class is diverse in its own way, and the Weill Cornell Medical College Class of 2016 is no exception.
"The new students are brilliant and accomplished," said Dr. Charles Bardes, associate dean of admissions and professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell, "but what stands out most is how cohesive they are as a group, how good-hearted and spirited, and — for lack of a better word — how nice."
Now fully entrenched in their first-year studies, the 101 students in the Class of 2016 — 53 men and 48 women, 14 of who are in the M.D.-Ph.D. program — were selected from 5,886 applicants. They hail from 26 different states, Canada and Belgium, and 19 students are from groups under-represented in medicine. More than 60 percent of the student body knows more than one language — five students can speak four — and collectively, they can speak 26 different tongues.
At Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, the incoming class comprises 39 students — 20 women and 19 men — representing 15 different nationalities.
Students studying in New York City attended 55 different undergraduate institutions; nearly a dozen studied at Cornell University. During their undergraduate studies, 59 students majored in science, 32 earned non-science degrees—five of which were in the arts — and 10 double-majored in science and non-science. One student has a Ph.D. in cancer biology, while nine students have master's degrees in fields that range from opera to aviation.
Some students took at least a year off from school before coming to Weill Cornell, while others went directly from undergraduate studies. Many have volunteered or studied abroad in more than 40 countries, engaged in scientific research and attended national and international scientific conferences.
Two students worked for Teach for America, and one served in the military and was deployed to Iraq.
Numerous students held leadership positions in national organizations, student government and campus organizations. They are members of sororities and fraternities, and played intramural and varsity sports. One student is a tri-athlete, another is a javelin thrower.
At the annual White Coat ceremony last month, Dean Laurie H. Glimcher paid homage to the Class of 2016 and challenged them to do great, bold things during their time here.
"The talented faculty at Weill Cornell and I are thrilled to be your partners as you embark on your journey of discovery," Dr. Glimcher said.
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