From a young age we are taught the importance of washing our hands to stop the spread of germs. The notion of killing bacteria with hand sanitizer and hand washing has become a largely mainstream concept today - especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic - however, this was not always the case. Until the late 1800s, many medical professionals did not wash their hands before, during, or after seeing patients!

It is often said that “necessity is the mother of invention” and in times of crises, accommodations must be made in order to adapt to uncertain situations. In the aftermath of World War I, Weill Cornell Medicine offered an elective course in military medicine in an attempt to prepare its medical students to enter into the military.

For weeks New Yorkers have seen images of their city spaces being converted into triage sites and field hospitals to help with the overflow of suspected COVID-19 cases. The Javits Center and Columbia University’s Baker Field Athletic Complex, typically sites of conventions or football games, have been taken over by field hospitals. Paved spaces, usually packed with vehicles or people, are now covered in triage tents to screen low-risk patients outside of emergency rooms.

In response to the growing threat of COVID-19, medical schools throughout New York have provided fourth-year medical students with the option to graduate early.  While this choice to accelerate commencement may appear unprecedented, it is not the first time Weill Cornell Medicine has needed to fast-track the education of students to serve the clinical needs of others! Throughout its history, Weill Cornell Medicine has been faced with major challenges that have forced not just the administration, but also the student body, to rise above and overcome significant obstacles.