As with last year, members of the department and the family and friends of the graduating class of 2017 Internal Medicine Residents gathered in the Feller Club of Carver-Hawkeye Arena to celebrate their achievements and to say farewell.

Residency Director Dr. Manish Suneja kicked off the evening after a social hour and some group photos. Dr. Suneja welcomed everyone and offered his thanks to an outstanding group of faculty and staff who form the backbone of the department’s education program. Department Chair and DEO Dr. Dale Abel then expressed his excitement to the group that this class now gets to become ambassadors for the University of Iowa, wherever they go next, extolling the virtues of the program and even building new connections with others who have ties that stretch back to Iowa City.

After the presentation of individual certificates by Dr. Suneja, Dr. Abel, and Dr. Vicki Kijewski to graduates of both the Internal Medicine and Medicine-Psychiatry programs, two important, resident-chosen, awards were announced. First, the Residents’ Award for Excellence went to Dr. Andrea Weber. Then, the Faculty Teacher of the Year Award was awarded to Dr. Alejandro Comellas, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine. Accepting on his behalf was Dr. Joe Zabner, Division Director, who extolled Dr. Comellas’s many virtues and why he deserved the award.

Congratulations to all our departing and graduating residents. The Department of Internal Medicine is grateful for the time each of you spent with us and the opportunity to have served as such an important stepping stone in what we are sure is to be an amazing career. You will carry our pride with you in whatever comes next.

2017 Graduating & Departing Residents

Take a look at this fun slideshow: Graduation for the Class of 2017

And here’s a photo gallery: