Stepping Into the White Coat and Into the Health Professions
By Office of the President | Mar 31, 2026
Downstate welcomed more than 50 high school students in grades 9–12 from across New York City for the Black Men in White Coats (BMWC), a national initiative to increase diversity in medicine, in partnership with the Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI), a hospital-based violence prevention program.
The Health Professions Career Day opened with a “Step Into the White Coat” photo experience, where students donned white coats alongside healthcare professionals, offering a direct introduction to clinical roles and the responsibilities associated with patient care. The program also included panels, mentorship networking, and hands-on clinical sessions introducing a range of healthcare careers.
Faculty and students from the School of Health Professions led clinical stations in Occupational Therapy and Diagnostic Medical Sonography, with participation from the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department. Adebanke Adebayo, M.D., Emergency Medicine Attending (Queens Hospital and former Downstate NICU/PICU Registered Nurse), Shawn Gibson, M.D., Emergency Medicine Resident (Downstate/Kings County), Isaiah Marshall-Thomas, MPH, Coordinator for Special Programs, Efekona Nuwere, EdD, MPH, OTR/L, Chair of Occupational Therapy, and W. Marcus Lambert, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Research Strategy and Operations, joined the professional panel.
Students explored career pathways through program tables, including the Physician Assistant program, and connected with Admissions. Occupational Therapy also featured an interactive Snoezelen Room focused on the rest environment in health and rehabilitation.
Vanessa Vales-Lewis, Ph.D., MAT, Assistant Dean, spoke about her career path and Downstate’s pipeline programs, reflecting on her experience in the Health Science Academy through the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health and her current work mentoring students.
Community partners included the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, the BMWC Downstate Chapter, KAVI, Maven Community Health, and Teens Helping Each Other. The event reflects the School of Health Professions’ focus on community engagement and pathway development.
Thank you to Drs. Vales-Lewis, Nuwere, and Lambert, along with faculty, students, and community partners, for supporting student engagement and career exploration in the health professions.
