The physician pipeline in New Jersey received a significant boost as 168 graduates from the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) received their medical degrees, marking the entry of a new generation of health care professionals into the workforce.
With this latest graduating class, New Jersey’s newest medical school has now trained a total of 572 doctors since its inception.
The Class of 2026 comprises 129 students from the 2022 cohort who completed the traditional four-year curriculum, alongside 39 students from the 2023 cohort who fulfilled their medical education through the school’s accelerated three-year degree pathway.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill delivered the keynote address at the ceremony, which was held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark—the same venue where Sherrill was sworn into office as governor earlier this year on January 20.
“We are honored to be joined by Gov. Sherrill as we celebrate new doctors launching their residencies, including many who will practice in our great state,’’ Bob Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, said. “This helps us fulfill our mission to strengthen the physician pipeline and transform medical education so that the next generation of doctors focuses on maintaining health as much as curing illness.”
A substantial portion of the graduating class will remain in the region to complete their training. According to school officials, 51% of the graduates (84 students) matched into residency programs within New Jersey for their first year, with 65 of those individuals specifically matching into a Hackensack Meridian Health program. The remaining graduates matched into programs across 21 states, including 40 in New York, seven in California, and six in Massachusetts.
The graduates matched into a wide variety of medical specialties, led by Internal Medicine with 43 matches. Other prominent specialty tracks included Psychiatry (16), Pediatrics (15), Family Medicine (14), Anesthesiology (11), Emergency Medicine (10), and Obstetrics and Gynecology (10).
“Our graduates are well suited to thrive in a new state of healthcare and will have an extraordinary impact on countless lives,’’ Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp, dean and president of the school said. “While they will practice in an era of groundbreaking technology, they will never forget the humanity they will share with their patients.’’
