Graduate School of Medical Sciences
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Commencement Celebrates New Leaders in Medicine and Science

Video of Congratulations to the Class of 2019 | Weill Cornell Medicine

Dr. Rachel Orleans has achieved a number of firsts in her family: She was the first to graduate from college, the first to earn a Master in Public Health and now, with her graduation May 30 from Weill Cornell Medical College, the first to become a doctor.

“So this is a big deal to us,” said the 31-year-old Ghana native, whose family now lives in Oklahoma. “Graduating today means everything. It’s the culmination of a journey and the sacrifice my family and I have put in to get to this point.”

Passionate about helping those who – like her – come from disadvantaged backgrounds, Dr. Orleans will head to the University of Colorado in Denver for a residency in dermatology, where she will combine her interests in public health and medicine.

Edwin Zambrano-Acosta crosses the stage with his daughter to receive his master’s degree in healthcare policy and research.All photos taken by Amelia Panico. Click photo to view the full Commencement Flickr gallery.

Edwin Zambrano-Acosta crosses the stage with his son to receive his master’s degree in healthcare policy and research. All photos taken by Amelia Panico. Click photo to view the full Commencement Flickr gallery.

Dr. Orleans was among 371 students – 95 fellow medical doctors from New York, 49 from Qatar, 76 Ph.D.s, 31 physician assistants and 120 with Master of Science degrees – in the Class of 2019 who graduated from Weill Cornell Medicine. The 2019 Commencement ceremony at Carnegie Hall was also a milestone for the Executive M.B.A./M.S. in Healthcare Leadership program, offered jointly by the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and Cornell’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, as it graduated its first class of 39 students.

Vibrant red and white bouquets lined the stage as Cornell President Martha E. Pollack joined Deans Augustine M.K. ChoiBarbara Hempstead and Javaid I. Sheikh in conferring degrees on students graduating from Weill Cornell Medical CollegeWeill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar.

“In thinking about the healthcare challenges we face, it’s clear that there are no easy solutions,” said Dr. Choi, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and provost for medical affairs of Cornell University. “Yet I feel strongly that as graduates of Weill Cornell Medicine, you have the ability to make an impact on this complex world we live in. It’s in your DNA.”With the first phase of their medical education behind them, the graduates will now embark on their residencies, postdocs, fellowships and other stages of their careers. These new physicians and scientists will be on the front lines of society’s most urgent healthcare needs and ensuring that everyone—regardless of where they live, their backgrounds and ability to pay—has access to quality healthcare.

Indeed, the drive to give back to humanity is a distinguishing characteristic of Cornellians that traces its roots to the university’s founding, Pollack said.  

“As graduates of Weill Cornell Medicine, the good that you will do will affect others in ways that are not abstract, but concrete; not theoretical, but exquisitely and profoundly human, as you work to enhance human health and wellbeing,” she said.

And while this work carries great responsibility, the graduates will also find it personally rewarding, said Dr. Hempstead, dean of the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences.

 Drs. Anam Ejaz, Maria Loressa Uson, Annum Munir, Radhika Agarwal and Darya Akimova.

Graduates from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences’ doctoral programs wait backstage before the Commencement ceremony on May 30. From left: Drs. Anam Ejaz, Maria Loressa Uson, Annum Munir, Radhika Agarwal and Darya Akimova.

“You’ve shown us that being the first to explain a scientific mystery brings enormous fulfillment; that these ‘ah ha’ moments are what drive us, entice us and tantalize us as scientists,” she said. “Through you, and your accomplishments to date, we know that prospects for scientific discovery are limitless.”

As they move on to the next chapter in their lives, graduate school commencement speaker Dr. Georgia Frost urged her fellow graduates to remember the value of the scientific method—asking questions and forming, challenging and refining a hypothesis—and the lessons they gleaned from it.

“With this process we developed perseverance and resilience, creativity, logical reasoning and a healthy dose of skepticism,” said Dr. Frost, who after her graduation will conduct her postdoctoral research at Weill Cornell Medicine studying Alzheimer’s disease. “We learned that collaboration and teamwork are critical to scientific progress and that our research is only impactful if we are able to effectively communicate with others.”

Graduates from Weill Cornell Medical College pose backstage before the Commencement ceremony on May 30. From left: Drs. Olivia Sutton, Brandon Sumida and Lauren Tufts.

Communicating with others also means treating others with dignity and respect, celebrating diversity and what makes each person special.

“I urge you all to actively make the environment around you more acceptable to each and every individual regardless of their age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation—or even views on sports,” said graduating Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar commencement speaker Dr. Merna Hussien, who will complete her residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Build bridges of conversation, try to understand one another and, most importantly, remember where you have started your journey and those who have helped you pave the way to your own success.”

These are essential values that must guide the graduates wherever and whatever they do next. Dr. Sheikh, dean of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, is certain that they will rise to the challenge.

“Everyone at WCM-Q is confident that these new doctors will be wonderful ambassadors for the college, for Qatar Foundation and for the entire nation,” said during that institution’s commencement on May 8, “demonstrating Qatar’s commitment to unlocking human potential to the whole world.”

Just as important is to have a strong sense of social justice and to drive change locally, regionally and around the world, said graduating medical school commencement speaker Dr. Lynne Rosenberg.

“Here we come, a generation of doers, of people who are willing to stand up for change, stand up for their patients and the communities they serve, and take healthcare beyond the walls of a hospital,” she said. “I could not be more proud to be a part of the graduating class of 2019, because you are moving mountains, friends, and the world had better be ready for us.”

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