Anthony Schramm graduated from Stony Brook University's medical school Wednesday in a Zoom call, along with 121 other graduates. Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

AnthonySchramm celebrated his graduation from medical school Wednesday at his mother's house in Vestal.

Schramm's mother, Becky Schramm, and his sister, Stephanie Moochler, of Endicott, blew up balloons, shared his favorite meal chicken and dumplings and outside, members of their extended family drove by the house slowly, honking the car horn to congratulate him.

This was one of the last times they'd be together, and in light of the coronavirus spread, the moment had arrived months early.

On Friday, 26-year-old Schramm leaves for his first assignment: assisting physician at Stony Brook University Hospital onLong Island,on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19.

Anthony Schramm, of Vestal, graduated early from medical school and will spend the next 6-8 weeks at Stony Brook Hospital helping fight the coronavirus.(Photo: Photo provided)

"Im very happy to be going back to the hospital to help out," the 2012 Vestal High School graduate said Thursday. "Ive been feeling very useless just sitting at home during quarantine."

Schramm recited the Hippocratic Oath along with 121 other graduatesof Stony Brook University's Renaissance School of Medicine Wednesday, more than a month before their scheduled commencement, in a Zoom call telecast on Facebook.

In doing so, the school joined others across the United States who've pushed up graduation dates in light of the pandemic. Gov.Andrew Cuomo also passed an executive order allowingqualified medical studentsto graduate early in New York.

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Schramm is scheduled to begin anesthesiology trainingat Columbia University Medical Center in New York City in July, but along with 48 fellow graduates, he's volunteered to report to Stony Brook Hospital first, and spend up to eight weeks helping fight the spread of the coronavirus.

Anthony Schramm, of Vestal, will start anesthesiology research at Columbia Medical in July.(Photo: Photo provided)

He says it was an easy decision to return to the hospitalwhere he's spent the last four years studying as a medical student.

For Moochler, it's hard not to be concerned, knowing how many more confirmed cases of COVID-19 there are in Suffolk County, where the hospital is located there have been about 17,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 compared to about 100 confirmed cases in Broome County.

"I just know that they need him, he will save lives and I know that was what he was meant to do in his life," Moochler said. "That's enough assurance for us to just know hes going to be OK."

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Schramm's first shift is Sunday. He doesn't yet know what time his shift starts, or what unit he'll be on either emergency or intensive carebut he knows he's ready to help any way he can.

"I think it just kind of comes down to why I wanted to pursue medicine in the first place," he said. "Being a physician is such a privileged position where we get to treat people in the worst of times."

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After early graduation, Vestal native and new doctor is off to fight on COVID-19 front lines - Pressconnects