Geisinger Commonwealth graduates sixth MD class, ninth MBS class

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) conferred 99 doctor of medicine (MD) and 93 master of biomedical sciences (MBS) degrees upon students who composed Geisinger Commonwealth’s graduating Class of 2018. Commencement ceremonies were held Sunday, May 6 beginning at 11 a.m. at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre.

Josephine Sinamano, a graduating MBS student, sang the National Anthem. The Most Reverend Joseph Bambera, Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton, delivered the invocation.

Steven J. Scheinman, MD, Geisinger Commonwealth’s president and dean, welcomed guests and graduates. In his remarks, Dr. Scheinman warned the graduates that in the coming decades both the technology and the delivery of healthcare will change radically, challenging the way things are done currently and dramatically strengthening our armamentarium. He added, however, that, “with these changes, what will remain constant will be the centrality of the relationship between the patient and physician.  In fact, the more technology advances the more central this relationship will become.”

Greetings were offered on behalf of the school’s board of directors by board chair, Robert Dietz, and also by John Bravman, PhD, president of Bucknell University and chair of the Geisinger Health Foundation board.

William F. Iobst, MD, vice president for academic and clinical affairs and vice dean, together with Dr. Scheinman, presented the commencement speaker, David Nash, MD, with an honorary doctor of medical arts degree. Dr. Nash is internationally recognized for his work in public accountability for outcomes, physician leadership development and quality-of-care improvement. He is founding dean of the Jefferson College of Population Health and serves on Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s board.

Jason Dinko, MD, a member of the Class of 2014, offered greetings from Geisinger Commonwealth’s growing Alumni Society. Rabbi Larry Kaplan of Temple Israel in Wilkes-Barre, delivered the benediction.

About Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) is a member of the Geisinger family. GCSOM offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Danville, Lewistown, Scranton, Sayre and Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger Commonwealth offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a portfolio of graduate degrees. The school’s innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from within its region, as well as from across the state and the nation. Geisinger Commonwealth is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. Visit www.geisinger.edu/gcsom.

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.