U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona and AAMC President Jordan Cohen Address Graduates
Jun 5, 2006
Surgeon General Notes Diversity of SUNY Downstate Student Body
U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, and Jordan J. Cohen,
MD, retiring President of the Association of American Medical Colleges, were the speakers
at commencement ceremonies of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Thursday,
May 25, 2006, at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.
Dr. Cohen spoke at the ceremony for the College of Medicine and School of Graduate
Studies in the afternoon and Dr. Carmona addressed the graduates of the College of
Nursing and School of Health Professions that evening.
In his remarks, the Surgeon General noted the diversity of the students graduating
from SUNY Downstate and told them: "Make sure that the future of healthcare looks
as diverse as the group I see sitting before me, because that's what this country
needs. I challenge you to every day take into account the diversity of cultures and
take the best science and deliver it in a culturally competent manner to help people."
Dr. Carmona was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, as was Linda
H. Aiken, PhD, RN, Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor of Nursing at the University
of Pennsylvania and Director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research.
At the afternoon ceremony, Dr. Cohen told the graduating physicians and scientists
that due to the recent completion of the mapping of the human genome, they will witness
a “fundamental shift in the very paradigm of medicine – a shift from reactive to prospective;
from waiting around for symptoms to appear, to actually forestalling their occurrence;
from being forced to deal with established disease, to being fully empowered to prevent
many ailments before they strike.”
Honorary doctor of science degrees were awarded to Willem J. Kolff, MD, inventor of
modern kidney dialysis and a voluntary Professor of Medicine at SUNY Downstate; and
to Robert F. Furchgott, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology at SUNY
Downstate. Dr. Furchgott won the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine for research he performed
in his Downstate laboratory.
Dr. Cohen, who already holds an honorary degree from the State University of New York,
received SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University's highest campus honor, the Ailanthus
Award.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.