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Student Life at the School of Medicine

As a student at the School of Medicine, you’ll balance a rigorous academic experience with plenty of social opportunities and community activities. From student organizations to campus events, you’ll have a wide range of engaging options to choose from. At NYMC, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of a supportive environment and a tight-knit community.

Students leaping to hit the ball while playing a game of volleyball on campus

Campus Activities & Residential Life

NYMC is home to more than 100 clubs that allow you to meet friends, network and build leadership skills, complement your academics, and, most of all, take a break from your studies to have fun. We have a range of housing options for full-time medical students.

Clubs and Organizations for Medical Students

In the SOM, clubs range from those focused on career interests and community service to cultural and religious and social and recreational, as well as chapters for national medical organizations, such as the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).

The two organizations below are only for NYMC School of Medicine students. All other clubs and organizations are open to all NYMC students. Find clubs on the NYMC Student Organizations page.

Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society Iota Chapter of New York Medical College

The mission of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society is to be a rising voice for professionalism, for advocating the highest ethical standards in medicine, for recognizing the importance of optimal patient care, and for emphasizing the need for continuing scholarship and academic achievements. Induction into AOA is reserved for medical students with the highest academic achievements who exhibit good character, leadership and professionalism and a dedication to community service.

Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS)

The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) honors senior medical students, residents, role-model physician teachers, and others who have “demonstrated excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service.” As part of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, the GHHS aims to elevate the values of humanism and professionalism within the field of medicine. Membership in the society is intended to not only honor those involved but to promote the ideals of humanism in medicine through community service, mentorship, role-modeling, and other initiatives.

Community Involvement

At the School of Medicine, one of our main goals is to prepare you for practicing in the community. One of the best, and most rewarding, ways of accomplishing this is to get involved to work towards the betterment of the surrounding communities throughout Westchester, the Lower Hudson Valley as well as the New York City metropolitan area. Learn how and where our students are involved in the community.

School of Medicine Student Senate

The NYMC School of Medicine Student Senate is composed of 21 peer-elected student representatives from all classes of the medical school. The Senate serves an important purpose for the School. This democratic body helps create solutions for different challenges and bridges the gap between medical students, faculty, and administrators. Through the Senate’s work, a stronger sense of community and connection is forged, and NYMC benefits.

The 21 members of the Student Senate include five representatives per class and the Student Senate President. Each year, the senators elect members of their executive board which consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. There are monthly meetings of the Student Senate with the Deans of the SOM.

See our Student Senate page for more info.

“My experience at New York Medical College is incredible thanks to the faculty and students who have cultivated such a welcoming and tight-knit community. The numerous clubs and organizations allow everyone to pursue the personal and academic interests that they love.”

Jared S.
SOM Class of 2027

Events and Milestones

We hold a number of annual events, but three milestones mark the most important steps in your journey as a medical student. The White Coat Ceremony marks the beginning of your academic journey. Match Day is perhaps the most exciting day of your medical education where you’ll learn where your residency will take place—a day of celebration and gratitude. Finally, the commencement ceremony marks your graduation from medical school, and you reflect on your accomplishments with friends and family before taking the next step in your journey.

Students excitedly receiving their white coats on stage.

White Coat Ceremony

The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage that marks the beginning of each medical student's career. Our ceremony creates a psychological, intellectual, and ethical contract for the profession and promotes empathy in the practice of medicine from the very start of medical training. First-year medical students don their white coats and are vested by NYMC deans and faculty members in the presence of families and friends. The ceremony concludes with the students reciting an oath of their own creation, emphasizing the qualities of a physician they consider most important.

Match Day

Three students proudly holding up their match day results.

Match Day is an annual rite of passage for U.S. medical school students and other applicants, a day when they learn at which U.S. residency programs they will train for the next three to seven years. At New York Medical College, Match Day is a day of great excitement with the campus packed with a boisterous crowd to celebrate where the next graduating class of the NYMC School of Medicine will continue their medical training. Visit our Match Day page for more info on this exciting event and to see the ceremonies and results for prior years.

Outside their commencement ceremony, two graduates beam with smiles as they don their regalia, clutching diplomas and a bouquet of flowers

Commencement

Every spring, the entire campus community comes together during commencement to celebrate all the graduates from each of our schools on campus. This is a long-standing tradition and a memorable celebratory milestone. For the latest updates on the upcoming commencement ceremony and to learn more about awards and traditions, visit the NYMC Commencement page.

Office of Medical Student Affairs

If you need academic or career counseling, information on programs, residency, research opportunities, or other resources, the Office of Medical Student Affairs is here to help. Learn more about the office staff and services.

School of Medicine Student Handbook

The School of Medicine Student Handbook, which can be found on the SOM Policies page, describes the expectations for behavior in the NYMC School of Medicine community and outlines procedures to follow when these expectations are not met. It covers the Student Code of Conduct, the Academic Integrity Policy, and other rules, regulations, and policies around student life.  Please contact Jonathan Pessolano, director of the Office of Medical Student Affairs, at (914) 594-4498 with any questions.