WILKES-BARRE, PA — The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education honored 65 resident and fellow physician graduates during its 45th annual commencement ceremony, held on June 22 at Mohegan Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Graduates were recognized in six disciplines: internal medicine, national family medicine, regional family medicine, cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology and geriatrics.
About 350 family members, staff and others attended the ceremony.
Dr. Humza Quadir, of Philadelphia, a hospitalist and clinical instructor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center who graduated from The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency in 2022, delivered the keynote address. He also serves as an instructor at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and received his medical degree from Ziauddin University in Karachi, Pakistan, in December 2014.
In his keynote address, Dr. Quadir stressed the importance of primary care, community health and serving at-risk populations. He encouraged the graduates to create a supportive health care environment.
“As physicians, our calling isn’t just about the diagnosis and treatment of diseases; it is also about fostering a culture of compassion, equity and service with every interaction,” he said. “Each patient who walks through our doors is not just a case to be treated but a member of a larger community—a community that relies on us for care, compassion and support.”
Challenges in graduate medical education and the delivery of primary care continue, including the American Medical Association’s forecasted shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034 and its associated misdistribution of physicians that limits access to care for many individuals, said Jumee Barooah, M.D., senior vice president of education and designated institutional official for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and a 2013 alumnus of its internal medicine residency program, in her speech.
“Health Professional Shortage Areas are also prevalent, including here in our region, affecting the health and quality of life of our neighbors and friends,” Dr. Barooah continued. “These are daunting issues, but ones The Wright Center is working to address.”
“As healers, we must always strive to be beacons of hope and forces for positive change,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak. “I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful that you have shared a part of your life path, energy, and immense talent with us at The Wright Center.”
For more information about The Wright Center or a list of the graduates, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570/866-3017.