The evening we spend celebrating the achievements of our residency and its graduates is one of the department’s most important events of the year. The years the trainees spend in the program are challenging and formative, and the program works hard to make sure that the annual celebration recognizes the sacrifice and growth of each of its members. A night of speeches, applause, hugs, farewells, awards, and video tributes lay ahead.
As graduates, faculty, staff, and their loved ones arrived at Hancher Auditorium, they were greeted with the opportunity for a “red carpet” style photo. Many either posed for our camera or their own.
Up the next flight of stairs, attendees found appetizers, a cash bar, and a view of the Iowa River as it bends through the University of Iowa campus. Guests chatted about their day, met family members, and got ready for the evening ahead.
Program members were invited to return downstairs for group photos to document the special occasion in a yearly tradition.
Then it was on to dinner and the formal proceedings. First, Manish Suneja, MD, Vice Chair for Education and Residency Program Director, welcomed guests and graduates and offered his congratulations as well as some words of wisdom. He took time to acknowledge the family members and loved ones of the evening’s graduates and asked those assembled to applaud their contributions to the achievements of the trainees.
Table by table, guests then made their way through the buffet line while on-screen a series of video tributes from colleagues and family congratulated each graduate. At the end, Suneja was joined on stage by Upi Singh, MD, Chair & DEO of the Department of Internal Medicine. Singh offered her own congratulations and asked the audience to recognize Suneja’s outstanding leadership. Each audience member rose to their feet to express their appreciation.
Then it was time to recognize the graduates. First up, were the residents doing a preliminary intern year in internal medicine before moving into their chosen specialty. Residents going into ophthalmology, neurology, or dermatology each thanked the program for treating them like categorical internal medicine interns and those staying at UI Health Care expressed their wishes to run into their colleagues on future consults.
Departing Preliminary Residents
| Erin Capper | Meghan Hunt | Reiker Ricks |
| Caitlin Hackl | Alina Hussain | Ross Robinson |
| Emma Hartness | Nimansha Jain |
Next, it was time to recognize the categorical graduates. Suneja announced where each graduate would head next, some of whom would be staying on at Iowa for subspecialty fellowship or as Chief Residents or attendings. Each trainee posed for a photo with Singh and Suneja and spoke briefly about what this program has meant to them and how important the relationships they formed at Iowa will remain throughout their careers.
Graduating Categorical Residents
| Joseph Berei | Usamah ElBakkush | Pranav Puri |
| Calie Brownlee | Casey Hardin | Maluki Radford |
| Cameron Brownlee | Cole Howie | Robert Schoeneich |
| Stefano Byer | Alp Kahveci | Trisha Slehria |
| Sanyogita Chandra | Rachel Lee | Carlie Sorensen |
| Amanda Chang | Austin Mallory | Katrina Soyangco |
| Katrina Dovalovsky | Urvashi Mathur | Quinn Vatland |
Intermixed were special graduates who had either gone through the Physician-Scientist Training Pathway (PSTP) or had been part of the innovative and unique NIH-funded Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) program. PSTP and StARR Director David Stoltz MD, PhD, helped present certificates to these residents.
Graduating StARR Residents
| Ezekiel Quittner-Strom | Ashten Sherman |
Andrea Weber, MD, MME, took the stage to present certificates to the graduates of the Medicine-Psychiatry program of which she serves as program director.
Graduating Med-Psych Residents
| Sarah Little | Shivaliben Patel |
The residency program also offers areas of emphasis for trainees, whether it is in hospital medicine, primary care, or a specific focus like medical education or point of care ultrasound. These distinctions and pathways are chosen by many trainees, personalizing their education to fit their career goals. Residents completing those areas of emphasis were called up to receive certificates and pose for a photo.
The Chief Residents, who devote a year post-residency guiding the residents and serving as a bridge between faculty and trainees, were also recognized. Adam Blaine, MD, was unable to attend.
Departing Chief Residents
| Adam Blaine | Marcus Osman |
| Tyler Maggio | Mackenzie Walhof |
Finally, awards for the Amarchi Anukam Humanism Award, the Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award, and the Outstanding Resident of the Year Award were presented to the winners as chosen by the residents themselves. The majority of the annual awards were presented the week before at Internal Medicine Grand Rounds.
Humanism Award
The Amarchi Anukam Humanism Award was announced for Quinn Vatland, MD, who was unable to attend that evening. She was recognized the week before at Grand Rounds.
The Outstanding Faculty Teacher of the Year Award was given to Morton Machir, MD.
And finally, the Outstanding Resident of the Year Award was presented to Joe Berei, MD.
The evening closed with further remarks and thanks from Suneja, especially to the support staff without whom the evening would not have been possible. From there, guests slowly dispersed, pausing for more group photos, savoring their successes.
Congratulations, Class of 2026!
Watch the entire evening’s proceedings:
Special thanks as well to Sandeep Jaggi for this compilation of photos and speeches from the evening!
