NYU Grossman School of Medicine celebrated the achievements of 111 new doctors at its graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 17, at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. The graduates, bound for residencies at some of the top programs in the country, received their Doctor of Medicine degrees and recited the Hippocratic Oath as they begin their careers.

Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean of NYU Grossman School of Medicine and CEO of NYU Langone Health, told the Class of 2023 to savor the joy of medicine, adding, “Each of you will contribute meaningfully to the health of our world. All of you can find purpose in your chosen field. There is nothing more honorable than being responsible for another person’s health or wellbeing.”

About the Ceremony

In the keynote address, Linda G. Mills, president-designate of NYU, shared with the graduates the most powerful lessons that she learned from her late father, a cardiologist.

“The timeless messages of precision, dedication, listening, paying attention, and perhaps most important of all, acting rather than doing nothing; these lessons are ever more pressing in our post-COVID world,” Mills told them. “With your outstanding training, your healing superpowers, and your well-honed emotional intelligence, you are ready to meet the challenge of doing much more than mending a broken bone.”

Mills was named the 17th president of NYU in February by a unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees; she begins her tenure in July. Currently NYU’s vice chancellor and senior vice provost for global programs and university life, Mills is also the Lisa Ellen Goldberg Professor of Social Work, Public Policy, and Law, and is the executive director of the NYU Center on Violence and Recovery.

Also making remarks were Anthony J. Grieco, MD, associate dean for alumni relations and academic events, and Kenneth G. Langone, chair of the NYU Langone Board of Trustees, and Joachner Philippe, MD, who gave the student address. Additionally, Elaine A. Langone and Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD, professor of ophthalmology, were recognized as honorary alumnae.

About the Class of 2023

The Class of 2023 entered NYU Grossman School of Medicine one year after the school announced it would offer Full-Tuition Scholarships to all current and future students in the MD degree program. During their time at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the school also introduced need-based Debt-Free Scholarships to cover the financial need of students beyond tuition. Last year, the school began to cover the cost of an individual health insurance plan for all students.

Twenty of the graduating students participated in the three-year MD pathway, an accelerated track for a select group of eligible students who have already been guaranteed acceptance into an NYU Grossman School of Medicine residency program. Also of note, 24 students completed a dual MD/master’s degree program:

• 12 students in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD)
• 5 students in the MD/MBA in general management program with NYU Stern School of Business
• 1 student in the MD/MPA in health policy and management program with NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
• 1 student in the MD/MA in bioethics with NYU College of Global Public Health
• 5 students in the MD/MS in translational research program with NYU Langone’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute