Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine holds virtual MBS commencement

The MBS Class of 2021 attended classes entirely online, a format that attracted students from distant states like California, Texas and Arizona, as well as from Canada. The ceremony was held virtually to accommodate all graduates.

“I am proud of our Class of 2021,” said V. Scott Koerwer, PhD, EdD, vice president for Strategy & Planning and vice dean for Graduate Education. “They matriculated at a time when there was still great uncertainty created by COVID-19. I admire these students for confidently moving ahead with their dreams and I know they are well prepared to excel in professional school or in a career in the health sciences.”

During his remarks to the class, President and Dean Steven J. Scheinman, MD, said that despite the “virtual” nature of their education, the Class of 2021 is ready for authentic and meaningful careers. “Your Geisinger degree, though earned virtually, is meant to take you to actually exciting places,” he said.

Three alumni of the MBS program also addressed the graduates. Kristina Zimmerman, MD ’15, MBS ’11, delivered the keynote address. Dr. Zimmerman is a family medicine with obstetrics physician at the Federally Qualified Health Center, Family Health Network of Central New York. Katherine Snyder, MD ’21, MBS ’16, first-year psychiatry resident at University of Washington, and Timothy Lequang, MBS ’19, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) fellow and a member of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey College of Medicine’s MD Class of 2025, welcomed the Class of 2021 to GCSOM’s growing Alumni Society.

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.