The UC Riverside School of Medicine held its tenth Commencement and Hippocratic Oath Ceremony on Friday, June 5, 2026 at the UCR Student Recreation Center. The event marked the SOM’s first unified, shared commencement across degree programs, with 78 Doctor of Medicine (MD) students, 34 Master of Biomedical Sciences (MS) students, and 12 Master of Public Health (MPH) students receiving their degrees.
This year’s ceremony wasn’t just the first to include MPH graduates – it was the very first commencement for the school’s new two-year degree program.
“Seeing this class cross the stage today is truly a historic moment for the UCR School of Medicine as this inaugural cohort is the first class of graduating MPH students in our school’s history,” said Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and Mark and Pam Rubin Dean Deborah Deas, MD, MPH, in her opening address. They “represent the next generation of public health leaders in the Inland Empire.”
Karina Isabel Young, who lives in Victorville, decided to get her MPH at UCR because she wanted to be more involved in community health policy. “There's a lot of different health issues affecting specifically the Inland Empire… so there's a lot of different ways that we can help pick up some of that burden from the public,” she said.
In the biomedical sciences Class of 2026, "The outstanding graduates… have emerged as accomplished scientists ready to advocate for change and make new discoveries," Deas said. "They have shown their commitment to our mission of improving the lives of underserved populations."
Biomedical sciences graduate Thuresa Doreen Veliz worked on neuroinflammation research while getting her MS with Monica Carson, PhD, chair of biomedical sciences and the S. Sue Johnson Presidential Endowed Chair in Glial-Neuronal Interactions. Veliz, a first-generation student who also earned her bachelor’s degree from UCR, intends to continue research on neurodegenerative diseases. She also hopes to attend medical school at UCR and to increase health literacy in the community as a physician. “I started my education here, and I plan to finish my education here, so I feel it's right to continue serving my community,” Veliz said.
Match statistics for the MD Class of 2026 highlighted the upcoming physicians’ commitment to the SOM’s mission of improving healthcare in the region. Of the 78 graduating medical students, 92% will remain in California for their residency training, with 51% staying in the Inland Empire and 70% entering primary care and shortage area specialties. “It brings me so much joy that we can come together to welcome you into the medical community as physicians,” Deas said.
Chancellor S. Jack Hu, PhD, also spoke during the ceremony, with California Surgeon General Diana Ramos, MD, presenting the keynote address. Ramos noted that women made up 68% of this year’s graduating MD class. “It reflects a generation of physicians bringing extraordinary talent, perspective, compassion, and leadership into every part of medicine,” she said. “This is not only a milestone for women, it is a milestone for medicine, because when medicine reflects the diversity, experiences, and strength of the communities we serve, patients, families, and health system benefit.”
MD student speaker Zayan Musa reflected in her speech on the mistreatment and suffering of children around the world that inspired her to become a pediatrician. “Medicine is not perfect. I cannot change a system, but I can try my best to provide patients with resources and the care they deserve to have as a human,” said Musa, who will enter the pediatrics residency program at Stanford University School of Medicine. “And although all our goals are different in how we want to impact patient lives, we share a common goal: bettering the health outcomes of our communities.”
Graduate Leonardo Aguinaga also chose to attend medical school out of a desire to help his community. A native of Rancho Cucamonga, Aguinaga will complete his residency in family medicine at Riverside University Health System and hopes to practice locally as a physician. “In family medicine, you get to basically see everyone from birth until they're old, so you get the whole spectrum,” he said. “I felt like it's the best way to give back.”
