5/11/2026 Beth Hart
The 50 members of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine graduating class of 2026 are launching careers that will help shape the future of healthcare in the United States and beyond. They celebrated the completion of their medical degrees during convocation ceremonies on Saturday, May 9, 2026, on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Written by Beth Hart
Fifty newly minted medical doctors from Carle Illinois College of Medicine are launching careers that will help shape the future of healthcare in the United States and beyond. The group of Physician Innovators – trained at the intersection of medicine, engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship – represents the fifth graduating class at the world’s first engineering-based college of medicine.
“Looking at our incredible group of graduating students moving forward into top residencies around the country, I know the future of medicine will be in good hands,” said Dean Mark Cohen. Convocation ceremonies for the Class of 2026 were held on Saturday, May 9. Cohen called the new MDs ‘the best physician innovators in the country,’ and challenged them to use their unique training to transform healthcare. “The future of medicine is not simply for those who know more. It belongs to those who think better… those who see what others miss. Build, don’t just inherit the future.”
The new medical graduates will bring an innovator’s mindset to medical residency programs in 16 different specialties across 21 states, from Massachusetts to California. They were chosen to train at prestigious teaching hospitals and clinics, including Mayo Clinic, Yale, and BI Deaconess (Harvard affiliate). Eight will begin residency training in Illinois, with seven remaining in the state for the full duration of their residency programs. Two graduates will serve both patients and the country as captains in the U.S. Air Force during medical residency. [Read about Match Day results here.]
Throughout medical school, the new MDs demonstrated clinical, research, and academic excellence while also developing medical innovations to improve patient care and health processes [see the Capstone Innovations page to learn more]. Notable accolades include: 2025 Illinois Young Innovator of the Year Anthony Wong; 2024 Illinois Young Innovator of the Year Priya Guduri; Fiddler Innovation Fellowship (2025) and King Li Physician Innovator Award winner Mahima Goel; American College of Physicians Illinois Downstate Outstanding Medical Student Award recipient Rachel Wong; and James C. Leonard, MD, Gold-Headed Cane Award recipient Tessabella Magliochetti. [See a complete list of college honors here.]
The campuswide commencement ceremony for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign class of 2026 will be held on Saturday, May 16, at Gies Memorial Stadium.