Each year, the Lander College for Men alumni dinners bring together students with alumni in their prospective fields. Lander College for Men alumni in numerous fields including medicine, dentistry, psychology, finance and real estate visit their alma mater to share their career experiences with current students. This year’s dinner was especially valuable.
“COVID threw many employers and professional schools off stride, and the challenges of landing the right job out of college have grown in complexity,” explained Dean Dr. Moshe Sokol. “Students have an opportunity to tap into the Lander network for guidance, support and honest answers to tough questions.”
These dinners, held over three consecutive nights in December, were standing-room-only. The pre-med dinner featured three speakers who opened the floor to students’ questions about medical school. The alumni, including current and former medical students, concurred that students graduating Lander were well prepared for the experience. Doneal Bromberg, a senior pre-med student, noted: “The speakers explained the importance of serious studying. A high GPA can get you into a medical school, but your success in medical school depends not just on what you learned, but also on how well you learned it.”
At the close of the dinner, one of the speakers, Dr. David Bamshaed, a radiology resident at Mount Sinai Hospital, shared why he chose to become a doctor. “I couldn’t be happier or more grateful for the opportunity to do something I enjoy while being able to help others and trying to make a Kiddush Hashem along the way,” he said.
Challenges, Opportunities for Entrepreneurs and Psychologists
Avi Horowitz, CMA and head of financial operations at the financial technology company Bread, spoke about entrepreneurship. He discussed the struggles of starting a new business, finding investors, creating a platform, and eventually selling the business. He explained that an entrepreneur needs both grit and perseverance to develop a successful business, saying that despite ups and downs in business, if you hang on and put in the work you will see success.
Students who attended the psychology dinner heard from four speakers. One is a research psychologist with a Ph.D., another is a clinical psychologist with a Psy.D., the third currently does research while finishing his dissertation, and the fourth works at Mount Sinai Hospital. They described the process of applying to graduate schools, and the many different settings in which psychologists are employed. Clinical psychologist Dr. David Hersh said, “Touro psychology professors advised, empowered and motivated me, and I am proud to follow in their footsteps.”
Sokol summed up the evening: “Hearing from LCM alumni who’ve succeeded in their chosen fields, who know exactly what it takes to succeed, and who know exactly the kind of college experience LCM students have gone through, is of extraordinary value. They tell it like it is, from the inside, and give our students just the guidance they need to succeed.”
From my own experience, these dinners were extremely helpful, and I am grateful for the opportunity Lander College for Men offered.
Zak Runge is a senior at Touro’s Lander College for Men.
