On May 23rd, MSIH celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2021 and their many accomplishments. “Despite the hardships of the pandemic, our students graduated on time,” said Prof. Jotkowitz. “Not only that, but they achieved a stellar match rate that has only been surpassed by our legendary 100%, set in 2018. This a testament to our students’ resolve and commitment – no less to MSIH’s ability to improvise in an hour of need.”
Classmates and families cheered as the new doctors had their degrees conferred by BGU’s Rector, Prof. Haim Hames. Graduates joined their families before their cameras as soon-to-be-doctors logged on from the U.S. to Australia, from Israel to Canada. BGU president, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz congratulated the graduates from a hotel in Dubai – something that would have been impossible last year.
The MSIH Class of 2021 has many accomplishments to celebrate, including five students inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society and a 96% U.S. residency match rate. Three MSIH graduates will be doing their residencies at the Mayo Clinic, in Emergency Medicine, in Surgery and in Neurological Surgery. Several students will be completing residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine (Family Medicine and Internal Medicine), Hackensack University Medical Center (Internal Medicine and Surgery-Preliminary) and Maimonides Medical Center (Internal Medicine (2) and Medicine-Preliminary). Other graduates will be doing their residencies at the University of Maryland Medical Center (Psychiatry), LSU School of Medicine (Family Medicine), and other medical centers throughout North America and Israel.
The new graduates join 618 existing alumni of MSIH. Many MSIH alumni work in senior positions in the U.S., Canada and around the world – generally making huge contributions to Global Health wherever they set foot. One such alumna, guest-speaker, Dr. LaShawn McIver, graduated MSIH 17 years ago. Throughout her illustrious career she has been “driving successful health initiatives and public policy efforts aimed at improving health outcomes, promoting health equity, increasing access to care, health system reform and international health.” Today, Dr. McIver is Director of the Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – the government agency that provides healthcare to over 130 million Americans every year.
“It’s wonderful that our alumni consistently speak enthusiastically of their time at MSIH,” said Dr. Lynne Quittell, Director of the North American office of MSIH. “LaShawn is a prime example of the way our graduates enter the world and make a huge impression on public health. We were so proud to have her as our speaker.”
