Back-to-back days of celebration marked Awards Day and Commencement for the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine Class of 2026 and the faculty who mentored them throughout their academic careers.
On May 7, the Awards Day ceremony held at the St. Luke’s Anderson Campus honored outstanding faculty members and students for special achievement.
The event represented an opportunity to highlight humanism, leadership, compassionate and patient-centered care – and community service. Additionally, several awards were endowed by alumni or honored past institutional leaders or faculty, linking each graduating class to the school’s history and mission.
“I could not have anticipated the warmth and belonging that I would find here – not only from my classmates, but from the faculty, administration, and physicians who invested in my growth every step of the way,” shared class president Yaniv Maddahi, MD. “It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to witness this class evolve during what I believe are the most formative years of a physician’s journey. To watch my classmates rise to every challenge, support one another and emerge as the physicians they are has been extraordinary.”
Today, May 8, Maddahi and his classmates crossed the stage of the Kimmel Center during a Commencement ceremony in Philadelphia. The Class of 2026 is the twelfth graduating class of Temple/St. Luke’s, the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school, and the third class that has trained at the Network for all four years.
Close collaboration with St. Luke’s resident physicians introduces medical students to a wide range of residency options while cultivating mentorships that support physician workforce growth and broaden care access for communities in the region.
Senior Associate Dean of the medical school, Shaden T. Eldakar-Hein, MD, MS, FACP, recognized the class’s hard work and perseverance that led them to this milestone.
“I am beyond proud of each of these graduates. Within each of them lies a drive to serve, compassion, and commitment to the ideals of medicine,” she said. “They continue to discover the most effective ways to meet the needs of today’s patients, all while embracing their broader role as trusted partners to their colleagues and the communities they serve. Our graduates have shown the dedication, knowledge and resilience that will make them successful physicians.”
All students at the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine receive $10,000 scholarships annually, which are supported by the establishment of a $25 million endowment. In addition, St. Luke’s Match Debt Relief Program provides $20,000 to students who match into Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Psychiatry or Pediatrics residencies at the Network, further incenting young doctors to practice medicine in the Lehigh Valley.
Shortly before graduation, Michael Cardiges, MD, Matthew Conlan, MD, Natalie Sliwowski, MD, and Busra Turkyolu, MD were informed that they would be recipients of this year’s Match Debt Relief program.
“Receiving the St. Luke’s Match award was such a pleasant surprise,” shared Conlan. “It helps ease the financial stress of medical education and gives me more room to focus on training and enjoy time with my wife and young son. I’m truly grateful for all the support from St. Luke’s.”
