Weill Cornell Medicine celebrated the Class of 2026 May 14 during two Commencement ceremonies at Carnegie Hall.

The class comprises 447 expected graduates – 108 medical doctors, 28 physician assistants, 86 with doctorates and 225 with master of science degrees. For the first time in the institution’s history – and in reflection of a dramatic expansion in master’s degree programs – the Weill Cornell Graduate School held a ceremony separate from Weill Cornell Medical College.

Credit: Reece Taylor Williams/Provided

President Michael I. Kotlikoff joined Dean-Provost Robert A. Harrington and leaders from both schools in conferring degrees on Weill Cornell students. Graduates crossed the Perelman Stage to receive their diplomas in front of an audience of cheering classmates, family and friends.

Connecting the past to the present, Kotlikoff reflected on Cornell’s history and the role of Weill Cornell Medicine, highlighting the mission of founder Ezra Cornell to establish an institution, “where any person can find instruction in any study.”

Credit: Reece Taylor Williams/Provided

“The idea that individuals from different backgrounds, different cultures and different viewpoints could work together was a radical idea in 1865,” Kotlikoff said. “But it has, of course, proven to be the essential strategy underlying successful modern medicine and the delivery of equitable and excellent healthcare.

“From the bench to the bedside, the idea that all members of the team have agency, and anyone should have access, has become the model for academic medicine,” he said. 

Visit the Weill Cornell Medicine Newsroom to read more about Weill Cornell Medical College’s and Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Science’s Commencement ceremonies.