Postbac Premed Class of 2024 Celebrated at Class Day Ceremony
On Friday, May 10, the Columbia University Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of the 80 members of the Class of 2024.
On Friday, May 10, the Columbia University Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program celebrated Class Day and the 80 extraordinary members of the Class of 2024. The ceremony was held at Faculty House where students were joined by faculty, administrators, and distinguished guests.
School of General Studies Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch ‘90GS, Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, opened the ceremony with a warm welcome, extending special greetings to Keynote Speaker Dr. Judith H. Tanenbaum ‘83PBPM and Student Speaker Wesley Rey Rivera ‘24PBPM.
“What makes our students the most exceptional candidates [for medical studies] is the way they further combine the depth and rigor of their science education with a genuine passion for helping and healing others,” shared Dean Rosen-Metsch. “The unwavering drive to make a difference and to help others is what brought you to our campus here in Morningside Heights,” she continued. “Your achievements are a testament to your hard work, dedication, and resilience. As you move forward in your journey, remember the values instilled within you during your time at Columbia: intellectual curiosity, ethical responsibility, and a commitment to social justice. May you go forth and make a profound impact on the world, guided by the principles of excellent compassion and service.”
“As you move forward in your journey, remember the values instilled within you during your time at Columbia: intellectual curiosity, ethical responsibility, and a commitment to social justice."
Following Dean Rosen-Metsch’s welcome, Dr. Judith H. Tanenbaum took the stage to deliver the Keynote Address. A psychiatrist in private practice for over three decades, Dr. Tanenbaum is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell School of Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Tanenbaum is also a dedicated alumna of the Postbac Premed program, serving on the General Studies Board of Visitors and endowing the Phyllis M. Kippur Memorial Scholarship for the Postbac Premed Program alongside her husband William Tanenbaum.
“To be a good doctor is a gift that you have cultivated with hard work and study, and [you] will be fortunate enough to give this gift to another human being [your patients],” shared Dr. Tanenbaum, who also quoted from the modern Hippocratic Oath in her remarks. “For me, and I hope for all of you, it will be rewarding to have the privilege to impact and help people and to also have an impact on public health. You can take that love and care and knowledge anywhere in the world.”
Dean Rosen-Metsch then presented the Alumni Key Award to Student Speaker Wesley Rey Rivera ‘24PBPM before turning over the microphone to Columbia Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program Dean James Colgrove ‘01MSPH, ‘04GSAS for the presentation of graduates.
"One day soon, sooner than you think, you will be healthcare providers, and the patients in your care will be lucky to have you."
“Your commitment to a vision of collective care and wellbeing is a model through which we can imagine a better world,” said Dean Colgrove in his congratulatory remarks, referencing the remarkably collaborative and supportive community Postbac students forge with each other as they make their way through the program and take key steps on their journey to becoming medical professionals. “One day soon, sooner than you think, you will be healthcare providers, and the patients in your care will be lucky to have you. Today, I am proud to celebrate with you and to honor your scientific expertise, your wisdom, and your compassion.”
Following the presentation of graduates, Student Speaker Wesley Rey Rivera ‘24PBPM delivered his address. A graduate of Harvard College, Rivera worked in management consulting and data analytics before pivoting to medicine, inspired by his sister’s journey with multiple sclerosis and his own experience facing cancer. At Columbia, Rivera served as President of the Postbac Premed Student Council and conducted clinical research in psychedelic medicine at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry.
“You are the most hardworking, interesting, and incredible group of people,” said Rivera, addressing his fellow students. “You’ve reconstructed your entire lives to pursue a livelihood dedicated to alleviating the suffering of others.”
"Our fulfillment of the academic requirements to attend medical school is not a means to an end, but really a chapter in each of our life stories; those same wild and precious life stories that will make us the great healers that our future patients deserve.”
In his remarks, Rivera explored the pressure and self-doubt that come with the high stakes academic environment of pre-medical and medical studies, not to mention the radical career and life changes so many Postbac students make to pursue their passion. However, he shared “our fulfillment of the academic requirements to attend medical school is not a means to an end, but really a chapter in each of our life stories; those same wild and precious life stories that will make us the great healers that our future patients deserve.”
Rivera continued, “as students, in more ways than we realize, we have already had the same job as physicians, or veterinarians, or allied health professionals: the job of resisting the constant temptation to go about our lives on autopilot, the job of bringing all of our faculties and knowledge and compassion to every moment, and the job of showing up in fullness for one another and for ourselves. So, I like to think of our graduation today as a milestone which commemorates that each and every one of us has proven that we can do these jobs.” He concluded, “I congratulate you on this beautiful accomplishment.”