Cooper Medical School of Rowan University celebrates Class of 2026 with message of hope, compassion and service

More than 100 new physicians crossed the stage at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University’s (CMSRU) 2026 Commencement ceremony, marking the culmination of years of rigorous training, personal sacrifice and service to the community.

Held May 15 on Rowan University’s Glassboro campus, the ceremony honored CMSRU’s 11th graduating class and celebrated the school’s mission-driven approach to medical education rooted in humanism, compassion and community engagement.

In her remarks to graduates, Annette C. Reboli, MD, dean of CMSRU, reflected on the class’s journey from the first days of medical school during the COVID-19 pandemic to their emergence as physician leaders prepared to care for patients in an evolving health care landscape.

“‘Doctor’ is more than a credential,” Reboli told the graduates. “It is a responsibility. It is trust. It is the privilege of entering people’s lives at their most vulnerable moments.”

Reboli praised the Class of 2026 for embodying CMSRU’s mission through nearly 17,000 hours of community service in Camden and beyond, emphasizing their commitment to advocacy, empathy and servant leadership.

“You promised to serve Camden with humility, to challenge your own biases, to confront injustice and to build a learning environment grounded in compassion and accountability,” Reboli said. “These commitments were not just words on a page — they became the compass that guided your class.”

The ceremony also honored the memory of Bill Kocher, MD, CMSRU’s senior associate dean for admissions, who passed away in December after a battle with cancer. An empty chair on stage symbolized his enduring impact on the school community.

This year’s Commencement speaker, Stephen Trzeciak, MD, MPH, professor and chair of medicine at CMSRU and Cooper University Health Care’s Edward D. Viner Endowed Chief of Medicine, delivered a powerful address centered on the role of hope in medicine.

“You will do more than diagnose and treat,” Trzeciak told graduates. “You will interpret possibility for people in their most vulnerable moments. You will widen or constrict what they believe is possible.”

Drawing from his research in compassion science and critical care medicine, Trzeciak encouraged graduates to become “hope bearers” for patients facing illness, uncertainty and fear.

“One of the highest callings in medicine is to be a trustworthy bearer of hope,” he said.

Following his address, CMSRU presented Trzeciak with the 2026 CMSRU Medal of Excellence for Notable Research, recognizing his pioneering work advancing compassion science and patient-centered care through research, scholarship and mentorship.

The ceremony also featured the promotion of graduate Patrick Morris from second lieutenant to captain in the United States Army Reserve Medical Corps during a special military commissioning ceremony led by John Chovanes, DO. Chovanes, associate professor of clinical surgery at CMSRU and a trauma surgeon at Cooper University Health Care, is a colonel in the United States Army Reserve Medical Corps who is in the final process of reinstatement.

CMSRU also recognized graduates for exceptional achievement through its annual Dean’s Awards:

• Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence: Evan Derector
• Dean’s Award for Service to the Community: Angelica Alvarado
• Dean’s Award for Humanism in Medicine: Jennifer Prial
• Dean’s Award for Leadership: Cameron Gaines

One of the ceremony’s most meaningful traditions was the doctoral hooding, during which graduates were hooded by CMSRU Advisory College directors and, in some cases, physician family members. The moment symbolized each graduate’s transition into the medical profession and reflected the mentorship and support that shaped their journey.

The ceremony concluded with graduates reciting the Hippocratic Oath led by Lawrence Weisberg, MD, associate dean for professional development and director of the Edward D. Viner Center for Humanism.

As the newest CMSRU alumni recessed from the ceremony, Reboli left the Class of 2026 with a final message:

“Go forward with confidence, courage and compassion. May your careers be long, meaningful and filled with purpose. May you heal boldly. May you lead with heart.”