• Press Release

Mount Sinai First Year Medical Student, Sophie Clarke, Wins “Survivor”

Sophie Clarke was awarded sole survivor of “SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC”.

  • New York, NY
  • (December 23, 2011)

First she conquered "Survivor" and then she survived med school – or at least the first semester. Sophie Clarke, a first year medical student at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, was awarded sole survivor of "SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC" on Sunday, December 18 on the CBS Television Network. Along with the title of sole survivor, Clarke took home a prize of $1 million. The production wrapped about six months ago, but Clarke didn’t learn of her win until the show’s live finale on Sunday night. 

"I’d been looking forward to medical school for years, but the prospect of winning "Survivor" and becoming a new millionaire proved to be very distracting in my first semester," said Clarke. "Plus the competition took an enormous physical and emotional toll on my body. So balancing that with school was difficult. But I’m looking forward to coming back, focusing on my studies and taking full advantage of all of the opportunities here at Sinai." 

The 23rd season of Survivor was filmed over six weeks in Samoa. Clarke secured her place in the final three by winning immunity in a dramatic final challenge. The first half of the challenge—a physically demanding ropes course requiring a great deal of upper body strength—favored her three male competitors. The last to begin the final puzzle of the challenge, Clarke had a lot of time to make up. But she focused on the task at hand and was the first to solve the complex puzzle, ensuring her spot in the final vote. A jury of nine players who had been eliminated earlier in the season awarded Clarke the title of Sole Survivor – and the million dollar prize – in a vote of 6-3-0. 

"We're thrilled for her and proud to have her as a member of the Sinai family," said David Muller, MD, Marietta and Charles C. Morchand Chair in Medical Education and Dean for Medical Education, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "It’s exciting to think of someone with Sophie’s intelligence, drive and determination devoting herself to the well-being of her patients and their communities. She’s going to do a world of good!" 

With her first semester behind her, Clarke is currently celebrating her win but will return to school in January. "My plans for the million, right now, do not go beyond paying for medical school," said Clarke. "It’s nice to know that I will not have any loans at graduation and this, I think, will take the financial factor out of my choice of specialty. Right now, I am interested in OBGYN, Internal Medicine, and Emergency Medicine." 

About The Mount Sinai Medical Center 

The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of the leading medical schools in the United States. The Medical School is noted for innovation in education, biomedical research, clinical care delivery, and local and global community service. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 14 research institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and by U.S. News & World Report. 

The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report ranked The Mount Sinai Hospital 16th on its elite Honor Roll of the nation’s top hospitals based on reputation, safety, and other patient-care factors. Of the top 20 hospitals in the United States, Mount Sinai is one of 12 integrated academic medical centers whose medical school ranks among the top 20 in NIH funding and U.S. News & World Report and whose hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 560,000 outpatient visits took place. 

For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/. 

Find Mount Sinai on: 
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Twitter @mountsinainyc 
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/mountsinainy

 

About the Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, employing 48,000 people across its hospitals and more than 400 outpatient practices, as well as more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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