Fifty-two medical students at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine took their Hippocratic oaths two months early to help U.S. hospitals battle the coronavirus pandemic, reports The New York Times.
The students graduated virtually via live video chat and pledged the Hippocratic oath in unison, their school year cut short because of implemented social distancing guidelines.
NYU in late March offered med students the chance to graduate early to fight the virus, which has infected more than 350,000 people in the U.S. and killed more than 10,000. Sixty-nine of the school's 122 fourth-year students volunteered to graduate early and begin interning at New York hospitals associated with the university.
Nearly 5,000 people have died in New York, a hotspot in the U.S.
"The country needs to mobilize people," Dr. Steven Abramson, vice dean of the Grossman school, told the Times. "Last time this happened was in World War II, when medical schools were shortened to three years."
Gabrielle Mayer, a fourth-year NYU med student, told The Washington Post the decision was easy.
"Knowing that we have the skill set that seems needed and valuable right now, it was an easy decision to make," Mayer said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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