Celebrating History, Honor, and a Missing Hammer!
By Office of the President | Jun 3, 2025
Over 100 students and faculty gathered the night before Commencement for the College of Medicine and School of Graduate Studies Awards Ceremony. Livestreamed for family, friends, and supporters, the event honored academic excellence, mentorship, and the great spirit of Downstate’s medical and scientific community.
The ceremony kicked off with one of Downstate’s top honors—the Furchgott Award, named in honor of Dr. Robert F. Furchgott, Nobel Laureate and longtime Downstate researcher. It was a great way to celebrate bold student research and contributions to science and medicine, where many awards are named after legendary faculty members whose impact still shapes how Downstate teaches, trains, and inspires.
One award came with a story as memorable as the honor: the Abram Max Rabiner Neurology Award. Almost 100 years ago, Dr. Rabiner had a heated argument (and supposedly a fistfight!) with French neurologist Joseph Babinski, the same Babinski behind the famous reflex. They eventually patched things up, and Babinski handed over his reflex hammer as a peace offering. No one knows where that hammer ended up. The account captures the quirky, dramatic, and profound story that is part of Downstate’s legacy.
Students received awards across various specialties, including pathology, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, family medicine, and global health. They took home awards backed by alums, former department chairs, and state-wide honors like the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Each award acknowledged hard work, leadership, and commitment to making a difference in their fields.
The Trude Pearlman Award is heartwarmingly special as it honors the spouses and partners who stood by students throughout the rigors of med school. Health Equity and Medical Education Pathways students shared innovative presentations about their work on community outreach and curriculum innovation, proof of Downstate students’ dive into service and push for meaningful change.
The ceremony also highlighted the close-knit bond between students and faculty, where graduating students gave a special shout-out to the faculty who made a lasting impact, choosing several awards to recognize their favorite educators. One especially moving moment honored the late Dr. Eva Cramer, a beloved mentor and visionary scientist who drove significant curriculum changes, started Downstate’s biotech incubators and helped build a sense of community through fun campus traditions like student-faculty softball games and the annual follies.
The night ended with well-earned applause for the Downstate community, including advisors and lab mentors to classmates and the staff who work quietly behind the scenes—a reminder that no one gets through this journey alone. At Downstate, success is always a team effort, and the bench on the Downstate teams runs deep.
Tags: College of Medicine, Awards, School of Graduate Studies