Newswise — New York, NY (May 21, 2014) – New York University School of Medicine will hold its 172nd annual graduation at 6:00PM, Wednesday, May 21st , at Alice Tully Hall located in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan. Established author Stephen Bergman, MD, who writes under the pen name Samuel Shem, will deliver the keynote address.

About the Class of 2014The Class of 2014 is comprised of 157 students, all receiving Doctor of Medicine Degrees. In addition, eleven students will receive a dual Doctor of Medicine/Master of Science Degree/Masters of Public Health or Masters of Public Administration degree. Seven students will be awarded the Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy Degrees through the Medical Scientist Training Program and twelve degrees will be conferred with honors. The class includes 27 members of Alpha Omega Alpha, the national honor medical society, established in 1902.

About Stephen Bergman, MD, DPhil (Oxon), aka Samuel Shem Dr. Stephen Bergman, who writes under the pen name of Samuel Shem, will deliver this year’s keynote address at the ceremony titled “Staying Human in Medicine.”

Dr. Bergman is a graduate of Harvard College. He attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, where he was a member of Balliol College and received his PhD in Physiology. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School, did his internship at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, and was a resident in Psychiatry at McLean Hospital. He has been in private practice since 1977 and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School from 1977 to 2002. He has been on the faculty for three decades.

It was his internship at Beth Israel Hospital now renamed Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which inspired the now classic book The House of God (1978) focusing on the grueling life, lack of sleep, and ups and downs of interning in a hospital. It was named by the British medical journal The Lancet as one of the two most important American medical novels of the 20th century alongside Sinclair Lewis’ “Arrowsmith.” “The House of God” has sold over three million copies in 30 languages. Subsequent works are Fine, Mount Misery; Bill W. and Dr. Bob, a play on alcoholism and the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous ; We Have to Talk: Healing Dialogues Between Men and Women with Janet Surrey, and The Spirit of the Place.

He lives in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife Janet Surrey and a daughter.

The CeremonyFollowing the procession and introductions by Anthony J. Grieco, BS (ARTS '60), MD '63, MACP, associate dean for Alumni Relations and Academic Events, class president, August Reich Dietrich, MD, will deliver the Valediction. Anthony J. Grieco, BS (ARTS '60), MD '63, MACP; Kenneth G. Langone, STERN ’60, (Hon. ’01) chair, NYU Elaine A. and Kenneth G. Langone Medical Center Board of Trustees; and Robert Berne, PhD (Hon. ’07) executive vice president for Health, New York University will greet the graduates. Robert I. Grossman, MD, Saul J. Farber Dean and chief executive officer of NYU Langone Medical Center will then address the men and women of the class of 2014 as they embark on what Dr. Grossman in the past has referred to as “an ancient and eternally noble calling” on the value of hard work as its own reward. The conferring of diplomas by Dr. Grossman and Lynn M. Buckvar-Keltz, MD ’91,associate dean for Student Affairs will take place directly after Dr. Bergman delivers the keynote address and Dr. Grossman will then administer the Hippocratic Oath. Immediately following the Ceremony, a Reception in honor of the Class of 2014 will be held for the graduates, their families and faculty.

About NYU School of Medicine

NYU School of Medicine is one of the nation’s preeminent academic institutions dedicated to achieving world class medical educational excellence. For 172 years, NYU School of Medicine has trained thousands of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history and enrich the lives of countless people. An integral part of NYU Langone Medical Center, the School of Medicine at its core is committed to improving the human condition through medical education, scientific research and direct patient care. The School also maintains academic affiliations with area hospitals, including Bellevue Hospital Center, one of the nation’s finest municipal hospitals where its students, residents and faculty provide the clinical and emergency care to New York City’s diverse population, which enhances the scope and quality of their medical education and training. Additional information about the NYU School of Medicine is available at http://school.med.nyu.edu/.

Special Note for Reporters Alice Tully Hall policy requires tickets of all attendees. NYU Langone’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs has secured tickets for members of the press who would like to attend and we look forward to seeing you. Please call our office for more information at 212-404-3555 or email [email protected]. ###

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