During the four years of medical school training, students can either study, sleep or have a social life, but never all three, joked Joel Rosenfeld, MD, M.Ed, FACS, Chief Academic Officer, St. Luke’s University Health Network, and Senior Associate Dean, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

After four years of intense study and clinical experience, 27 Temple-St. Luke’s medical students graduated May 13 at the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia.

“Graduation is truly a culmination of many years of hard work and preparation,” said Rosenfeld. “From high school through college and then throughout medical school, medical students have to be singularly focused and committed in order to succeed. I am very pleased that our students have met these challenges, far exceeded our expectations and have proved themselves ready for the next step of their training in their chosen residency programs.”

St. Luke’s student Rachael Kyper, MD of Manor, Westmoreland County, was awarded the Joseph C. Doane Memorial prize for the member of the graduating class with the highest average throughout all four years of medical school. Kyper also won the Earl H. Spaulding Award in Microbiology and Immunology. She will continue her training as an Emergency Medicine resident at University of Pittsburgh, near her hometown.

Dr. Fabio Dorville, an internal medicine physician who completed his residency training at St. Luke’s and practices in Bethlehem, won the Blockley-Osler award for an affiliate faculty selected for excellence in teaching by the Temple-St. Luke’s students.

Dr. James Anasti, a St. Luke’s obstetrics and gynecology physician and program director for the OB-GYN Residency program at St. Luke’s, won the Drs. Henry and Page Laughlin award for excellence in clinical teaching as selected by Temple-St. Luke’s students. Anasti graduated from Temple University School of Medicine and completed his residency and internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

On March 18, fourth year medical students all over the country “matched” their residency applications with prospective health institutions to determine residency training programs, the next step after graduating from medical school.

“National Match Day is truly a milestone for every medical student across the country. This is the day when medical residency programs match with their highest-ranked medical students, and fourth year medical students learn where they will continue their professional development,” said Rosenfeld.

“We are extremely pleased with how well our students have matched. This is a tribute to their hard work over the past four years and to the excellent teaching, advice and counsel of our faculty.”

Five students will continue their medical education in St. Luke’s Graduate Medical Education programs, according to Rosenfeld.

Robert Langan, MD, Program Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, St. Luke’s University Health Network, said, “St. Luke’s University Health Network and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine made a joint investment in the future of the health of the Lehigh Valley by joining together to produce a medical school with the stated purpose of attracting high quality individuals who will learn, train and we hope stay to practice medicine in the Lehigh Valley.”