Suffolk Reporter

Stony Brook University issued the following announcement on April 7.

In an effort to help curb the need for medical professionals, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook is graduating its class of 2020 early in a virtual ceremony. It is set to take place on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 12 p.m. EST. It will be broadcast live on the Stony Brook Medicine Facebook page.

Having now met all graduation requirements, the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University is allowing senior medical students to graduate so that they might begin their professional career as a physician at Stony Brook University Hospital. They will be able to work under the supervision of residents, fellows and attending physicians to address the growing number and complexity of patients being admitted to our hospital, precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The graduates will proceed to begin their residencies July 1.

The event’s keynote speaker is Dr. Michael Brown, the W.A. (Monty) Moncrief Distinguished Chair in Cholesterol and Arteriosclerosis Research; Regental Professor; Paul J. Thomas Chair in Medicine for UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Brown will speak about the severity of the pandemic and how these doctors are going into the situation they have been preparing all their lives for.

Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, Dean, School of Medicine, will also address those students who will be participating in the virtual graduation. Students Justice Achonu and Nick Billow, both part of the class of 2020, will also speak to graduates in a joint address.

All 122 students from the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University will be presented for graduation and awarded their degrees during this virtual event. Of these graduates, 52 will be joining the ranks at Stony Brook University Hospital.

Original source can be found here.