The Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook on Wednesday graduated its class of 2020 early in a virtual ceremony, saying their skills will be “needed urgently – more than ever before.”

Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, the dean of Stony Brook University School of Medicine, presided over the ceremony, which was broadcast on Facebook Live via Zoom. A total of 122 graduates in the schools’ 46th graduating class will now join the ranks to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

MORE: LIVE BLOG - Coronavirus updates from the tri-state area and beyond 

Dr. Kaushansky wasted no time reinforcing to the class just how important their work will be.

"What we do here, what we do now will define us," he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday that 7,000 additional health care workers have been hired in New York, some coming out of retirement and some coming right out of school.