Newest Physicians from Renaissance School of Medicine Receive Their MD Degrees

Each of the Renaissance School of Medicine graduates, including Jacklyn Cho, took part in the traditional hooding ceremony during the school's 52nd Convocation. Photos credit: Rob Tannenbaum Photography.

The latest class of new physicians from the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University received their Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees at the RSOM's 52nd convocation. Most graduates will be launching their careers in July as residents practicing in New York State and around the country.

A total of 142 new physicians celebrated with their family, friends and RSOM faculty as they took part in the May 19 ceremony held at the Stony Brook Arena. The Convocation included much celebration, the traditional hooding ceremony, and graduates reciting the Physician's Oath for the first time as MDs.

Peter Igarashi, MD, the Knapp Endowed Dean of the RSOM and Presider over the Convocation, congratulated the graduates and cited the day as a celebratory one commemorating their perseverance and achievements during medical school.

Peter Igarashi, MD, the Knapp Endowed Dean of the RSOM, assured the 2026 graduates they have what it takes to be great physicians and recited the Physician's Oath with the new doctors.

"Medicine is not easy. There will be days that test you in ways you cannot yet imagine. The world of healthcare and technology is rapidly changing. But you are ready. You have been trained well. And you have already proven that you have what it takes," Igarashi said.

Not only will the new physicians enter a workforce that will continue to transform through new technologies such as AI and advance with new discoveries for diagnostics and treatment of diseases, but they will treat an aging society that will require the need for more primary care practitioners as well as specialists for diseases common in the elderly.

Their contributions to medicine will begin right away, and the new MDs will practice in many specialties such as internal medicine, emergency medicine, psychiatry and surgery to name a few.

Some of the 142 Renaissance School of Medicine graduates at the 2026 Convocation ceremony.

Two-thirds of the RSOM graduating class will stay in New York State for their residency training, and 22 percent will begin their careers at Stony Brook Medicine on Long Island.

Susan E. Quaggin, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine, director of the Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute and the Irving S. Cutter Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University, delivered the convocation address.

A physician-scientist, Quaggin is internationally recognized in nephrology and vascular biology. Her work has identified pathogenic mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets for diseases including diabetic kidney and eye diseases, nephrotic syndrome, pre-eclampsia and glaucoma.

There was plenty of waving to and celebrating with family members as Ted Kim and his fellow RSOM graduates lined up before attaining their MD degrees.

Quaggin urged the graduates to learn from their patients, the scientific literature in medicine, and from each other as they enter their fields. She also described the importance of blending the art and science of medicine in every case to deliver the best care of medicine for patients.

The 2026 RSOM graduates join more than a half century of RSOM alumni who have contributed significantly to the field of medicine as physicians, researchers and medical educators. Prior to Tuesday's convocation, the RSOM had conferred more than 5,150 MD degrees, 600 PhD degrees, and 800 master's degrees to more than 6,400 students.