Dear students of Class of 2023,
After carefully tracking city, state and national data, and monitoring the CDC’s recommendations, we are writing to inform you that we have made the difficult decision to conduct your first semester of the second year of medical school remotely. We expect that your in-person curriculum at Mount Sinai will begin in the second semester. This was not an easy decision and we do not underestimate the disappointment that you likely feel. Our decision prioritizes your health and our collective public responsibility to curtail the risk of infection.
While the number of new COVID-19 cases has come down dramatically in New York State and there are only a handful of patients with COVID-19 in Mount Sinai Hospital, the rest of the country is experiencing surges, with recommendations around travel, testing, and quarantine evolving rapidly. All of this means that our new ‘normal’ includes social distancing, face coverings, testing and symptom tracking and remote interactions whenever possible.
In addition to remote learning, we are faced with the public health imperative of reducing the population density of Aron Hall as low as possible to promote effective social distancing and reduce the risk of exposure. In doing so, we will also avoid unnecessarily delaying educational plans because of potential exposure leading to required quarantine and isolation.
With this in mind we are encouraging ALL second year medical students residing in Aron Hall to consider relocating elsewhere for the fall semester. If you have an alternative living arrangement that allows you to maintain your studies in a focused manner, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of that option. Since we are requesting that you vacate Aron Hall, or not return to Aron Hall if you are currently off campus, you will not be charged rent for the months you are away, regardless of whether you are able to remove your belongings.
In addition to our commitment to offer you a rich learning experience remotely, we will also create opportunities for remote advising, learning support, and look forward to working with you on ways to build community. Our intention is to ensure that we come together despite our physical distance.
For students who do end up on campus, you will soon receive a communication describing our policy for mandatory antibody and PCR testing for all students who are on campus and any student who is traveling to New York City from outside the tristate area. You will also receive updated information about mandatory daily symptom and fever screening. It is critically important that we achieve 100% compliance with testing, mandatory daily symptom and fever screening, face coverings, hand hygiene, and social distancing. The symptom tracking and testing data allows us to protect your health, the health of your peers and patients, and your ability to continue on your academic trajectory without further disruption. They also help us determine the degree to which we can continue to minimize the risk of spread in Aron Hall.
A breach of any of these policies – symptom tracking, testing, face covering, and social distancing - can result in discipline, up to and including dismissal or termination.
We are committed to helping you achieve your maximum potential in an environment that sets equity and your well-being as our highest priorities. We will not waiver from these priorities, and hold ourselves to the same standards for your peers, as well as the staff and faculty who support your learning.
Please look out for more information in our Daily Digests as well as in the next town hall for your class, which is scheduled to take place July 22 at 4pm. Let’s continue working together to ensure that we all stay safe, healthy, and on track.
The Department of Medical Education