New Medical Students Don White Coats in Welcoming Ceremony
ALBANY, N.Y., August 12, 2009—One hundred forty-one first-year students arrived at Albany Medical College today where they were greeted with the annual “White Coat Ceremony,” during which the aspiring physicians were helped into their traditional white coats by second-year students and then recited the Hippocratic Oath.
Drawn from more than 8,000 applicants, the new medical students represent 25 states, with 48 students hailing from New York. Three students are from Canada. This year’s class ranges in age from 20 to 38, with women accounting for 45 percent of the students.
The new medical students hold degrees from 58 undergraduate institutions including Brown, Duke, and Stanford Universities. Thirty-nine graduated from one of Albany Medical College’s three joint degree programs at Siena College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College. Thirty-four hold master’s degrees, two hold doctoral degrees, and one holds a juris doctor degree.
In addition to those with science and pre-med backgrounds, among the class are several music majors, a mathematician, and an urban designer. According to Joanne Nanos, director of admissions, these diverse backgrounds help to enrich each student’s educational experience. “We embrace the diversity of our students because their various life experiences enable them to gain valuable insight from one another. They learn from each other’s unique viewpoints throughout their educational careers and leave as well-rounded physicians.”
Albany Medical College, founded in 1839 as one of the nation’s first private medical schools, trains medical students and provides continuing medical education programs for area physicians.
In addition to medical degrees, the College also offers Master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral programs in the basic sciences as well as Master’s programs for nurse anesthetists, physician assistants and bioethicists.
Albany Medical Center is northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center. In addition to the College, it consists of one of New York’s largest teaching hospitals, Albany Medical Center Hospital; and one of the Capital Region’s most active fundraising organizations, the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc.
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Sue Ford
