30th Annual
White Coat Ceremony

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine

Celebrating the Class of 2028

Friday, September 20, 2024
1:00 & 3:00 pm

Sponsored by the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine Alumni Association, the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine Office of the Dean and the SUNY Downstate Division of Student Affairs 

Order of Exercises | Oath | Class of 2028 | Speaker Biography | Acknowledgements

Order of Exercises

INTRODUCTION

Jeffrey S. Putman, Ed.D.
Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs

GREETINGS

Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP
President

F. Charles Brunicardi, M.D., FACS
Senior Vice President & Dean of the College of Medicine

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Calvin D. Sun, M.D.
College of Medicine, Class of 2014
Emergency Medicine Physician, Author, Activist

PRESENTING OF THE CLASS OF 2028

FACULTY MARSHALS

Elka Jacobson-Dickman, M.D.
Associate Dean for Clinical Medicine

Antonia Quinn, D.O.
Associate Dean for Clinical Skills

NAME READER

Riccardo Bianchi, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Foundations

COATING OF STUDENTS

Carla Boutin-Foster, M.D., MSc
Associate Dean for Diversity Education and Research

Jason Lazar, M.D., MPH
Vice Dean for Education

CLASS OF 2028 ORIENTATION VIDEO

OATH FOR TEACHERS AND LEARNERS AT SUNY DOWNSTATE HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY

Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP
President

Order of Exercises | Oath | Class of 2028 | Speaker Biography | Acknowledgements

Oath for Teachers and Learners at Suny Downstate Health Sciences University

FACULTY & STUDENTS

"We pledge to serve our patients, their families, our community and each other, with respect, integrity, competence, compassion, humility, and humanity. We hold as our ideal the care and treatment of all of our patients. From them we will learn. We hold as our ideal the advancement of knowledge. Through it disease will be understood, prevented and cured. We hold as our ideal open-minded collaboration. To this we are collectively committed. We hold as our ideal critical self-evaluation. Through this we will grow."

FACULTY

"We, your faculty, promise to serve as worthy role models, as our own teachers have before us."

STUDENTS

"We, your students, recognize the expertise and commitment of those from whom we learn."

FACULTY

"We promise to support your personal and professional growth, in the clinic, in the laboratory, in the community, and in your own teaching."

STUDENTS

"We promise to pursue responsibly in our calling to patient care, to service, and to research."

FACULTY

"We promise to maintain an environment where scientific integrity and ethical standards sustain your trust in us."

STUDENTS

"We commit ourselves to the highest standards of academic honesty, scientific integrity and ethical practice as both students and in our professional lives."

FACULTY & STUDENTS

"We honor and embrace the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine history of and commitment to service to the people of the Borough of Brooklyn, the City of New York, our nation and the global community. We support its rich tradition of teaching and research excellence. We accept the challenges and opportunities of those alumni whom we follow. We humbly commit to serve humanity—caring for the sick, promoting good health, and alleviating pain and suffering. We will not permit considerations of race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, nationality, or social standing to influence our duty of care. We solemnly pledge our commitment to this oath and our assistance to others who pledge the same."

Adapted from oaths used at The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, the University of San Francisco School of Medicine and the University of Namibia Medical School and modified for SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine.

 

Order of Exercises | Oath | Class of 2028 | Speaker Biography | Acknowledgements

Class of 2028

Order of Exercises | Oath | Class of 2028 | Speaker Biography | Acknowledgements

Speaker Biography

Calvin D. Sun, M.D.

College of Medicine, Class of 2014
Emergency Medicine Physician, Author, Activist

Calvin D. Sun, MD is a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician, published author, public speaker, activist, and entrepreneur based in New York City. A proud member of the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine Class of 2014, he was elected President of his class and has since been deeply involved in medicine and public service.

Dr. Sun completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at the combined Jacobi Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center program, where he also served as its first Director of Resident Wellness. Since 2018, he has practiced as a board-certified attending physician and Clinical Assistant Professor at numerous New York City hospitals and regularly oversees medical care at major events, including serving as the Chief Medical Officer for the Finish Line at the annual NYC Marathon.

Before entering medicine, Dr. Sun was a host on MTVu’s hit show “The Freshmen” from 2004-2008. He also made waves as an award-winning filmmaker, with his works exploring Asian American stereotypes and female body image. His 2007 film earned the “One to Watch Audience Award” at the New York City Asian American International Film Festival.

In addition to his medical career, Dr. Sun is the Founder of The Monsoon Diaries, initially a solo travel blog that he began the summer before medical school. It has since evolved into a renowned adventure travel company and global community, taking thousands of people across 245 countries and territories, from Nauru to Antarctica. His work has been featured by major media outlets such as BBC, ABC, Huffington Post, Business Insider, MSNBC, TED, National Geographic, and USA Today. To this day he continues to regularly travel every month to a new destination around the world while taking along anyone who wants to join.

Dr. Sun gained further recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering frontline reports from New York City emergency rooms, providing a raw and humanistic account of the crisis. His unique perspective, informed by both his medical expertise and extensive world travels, is chronicled in his memoir, The Monsoon Diaries, published by HarperCollins. The book, now available worldwide, tells the story of a life driven by adventure, empathy, and resilience—qualities and a story that have shaped his journey since his time here at SUNY Downstate.

As a token of his continued connection to the SUNY Downstate community, copies of The Monsoon Diaries have been provided to all members of the Class of 2028, sharing Dr. Sun's story of inspiration and adventures that began right here in this room.

Order of Exercises | Oath | Class of 2028 | Speaker Biography | Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the College of Medicine Alumni Association, the Division of Student Affairs, Office of Student Life and the Office of the Dean of the College of Medicine.

White Coat Gold Pins were provided by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

The White Coats for the Class of 2028 have been generously donated by the Alumni Association for the College of Medicine. We offer special thanks to The Board of Trustees of the Alumni Fund and The Board of Managers of the Alumni Association as well as the individuals listed below who generously sponsored coats for the Class of 2028!

Order of Exercises | Oath | Class of 2028 | Speaker Biography | Acknowledgements

Congratulations to the Class of 2028!