Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Graduates 244 New Doctors

The Class of 2024 Middletown received their diplomas at festive ceremonies held at Middletown’s Paramount Theatre on Wed., May 15, followed by TouroCOM Harlem’s commencement the next day at the famed Apollo Theater across the street from the school.

The celebrations began with welcomes from Dean of Student Affairs Nadege Dady, EdD in Harlem and Associate Dean of Students Frank Rose in Middletown, followed by traditional academic processions of faculty, administration, guest speakers and students, accompanied by a color guard, grand marshal and bagpipes.

Opening ceremonies included commissioning of military students and a welcome and invocation from Touro University Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Krupka.

Congratulations flowed, from Touro University President Dr. Alan Kadish, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Graduate and Professional Division Dr. Patricia Salkin, and TouroCOM Executive Dean Dr. Kenneth Steier.

Dr. Steier applauded the graduates’ near 100 percent match rate to residency programs all over the country.

“You have matched to excellent residencies and your potential to do great things is limitless,” he said. “I know how hard you have worked. This was not an easy journey and you should be very proud of your success.”

President Applauds Class

Touro University President Dr. Alan Kadish congratulated the class and noted the many challenges they faced during their four years of medical school.

“Collectively you’ve been through the toughest four years that I’ve ever experienced in higher education,” said the president, citing the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other challenges. “You have many reasons to be extraordinarily proud.”

He also reminded the Class of 2024 that the professional world holds new pressures and they will have to figure out how to balance work with family, friends, and issues important to them in an increasingly complex environment.

“As physicians, we have a right and responsibility of caring for everyone without prejudice. [In] an increasingly polarized society, the idea that we treat every patient as an equal and with respect has never been more important,” he said.

Awards and Accolades

Awards followed inspirational remarks from keynote speakers Dr. Michael Akerman, director of medical education at Saint Clare’s Health and St. Mary’s Hospital in Northern New Jersey and an adjunct clinical professor at TouroCOM Harlem and New York Medical College, and Dr. Gerard Galarneau, president of Garnet Health Doctors in Middletown.

Graduates took to the stage to receive awards for academic achievement, clinical skills, community service, achievement in public health, and research.

Middletown graduate Sarah Loftus, a U.S. Army Second Lieutenant and president of the school’s Armed Forces Medical Club, finished magna cum laude. She will start a three-year residency in emergency medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center near Takoma, WA. 

Originally from nearby Fort Montgomery, N.Y., Loftus lived at home for the first two years, during the pandemic, and worked in her community. “It was nice having a medical school practically in my backyard. Touro is such an asset to the community. On rotations I had patients who were my neighbors,” said Loftus.

Geoffrey Campbell from the Harlem campus, winner of the Research Award, said he is excited to be starting a pediatrics residency at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and feels well-prepared. Campbell said the President’s remarks resonated with him.

“His speech was really excellent for the time and the climate we are in, especially when he talked about the need to have physicians who care about their patients no matter what their backgrounds are,” he said.

Kyle Buckley won Harlem’s Excellence in Preclinical and Clinical Years awards and the Dean’s Award for the highest GPA. He will start residency in anesthesiology at Mount Sinai West-Morningside Hospital.

“It’s a real testament to years of hard work, a lot of support from loved ones, and of course I couldn’t have gotten to this point without the support and education Touro provided,” said Buckley. 

A Highly Successful Residency Match  

Half the class chose to train in primary care specialties such as internal medicine, family medicine and OB/GYN, with the remainder in other areas.

Additional institutions receiving Touro D.O. graduates are Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD; Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J.; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Manhattan; SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn; University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y.; and Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.