Coronavirus Latest: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School To Expedite Graduation, Hold Virtual Ceremony

NEWARK, N.J. (CBS) - Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is moving up graduation for its final-year medical students. A virtual graduation ceremony is scheduled for Monday.

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Dean Robert Johnson says the early graduation will allow many medical students to get on the frontlines and begin working.

"Our students actually finished their requirements early April and normally we would wait until Rutgers has the commencement ceremony mid-May to actually confer the degrees and give the students time to relax or to move to places where they'll do their residencies," Johnson said. "Our students were already matched with the places they were going to perform their residency training back in the beginning of March. Therefore, we did not see any good reason to wait. Especially, since many of our students wanted to get finished and get on the frontlines and begin to do things about what is going on all around."

Johnson says the ceremony will be live-streamed through Rutgers Television.

"Several students will be participating, especially during the reading of the Hippocratic Oath, and also will be making some statements. The chancellor has recorded an announcement for all the students and then we will read out all the names of the students and perform the Hippocratic Oath," he said. "It is very important for us to have some sort of ceremony. Normally our students would have a graduation, as well as a commencement... and this year it just didn't feel right for our students to leave without having something special for them."

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