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May 19, 2026

By Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science staff

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Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences celebrated the graduation of 48 students in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 15, marking the beginning of their next chapter as physicians and scientists.

This is the first graduating class from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Arizona. Six students earned their Ph.D. These Arizona students join more than 135 of their fellow students in Florida and Minnesota who are graduating throughout May.

The ceremony highlighted not only academic achievement, but the responsibility graduates carry to uphold core values and invest in others.

"In these moments, I urge you to return to the values that have anchored your training here — Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Healing, Teamwork, Innovation, Excellence and Stewardship," said Jewel Kling, M.D., Suzanne Hanson Poole Dean, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Arizona Campus, referencing the set of Mayo values referred to as "RICH TIES." "These are not just aspirational words — they are lived commitments."

Graduates will continue their training in residencies and research roles across Mayo Clinic and the nation, where they will care for patients and help shape the future of medicine.

The student speakers at commencement reflected on the personal and professional growth during their time in the programs ­—and the responsibility ahead.

Arizona medical student speaker Stephanie Hernandez, M.D., said that an attribute of this class is shared joy and its hallmark is mutual respect. "What I am most proud of is to be part of a class that is not only intelligent, ambitious, perseverant but that we cared for each other. Our class built a community on the knowledge that each one of us belonged here, had something to contribute and were cared for."

One of the first class of Arizona Ph.D. graduates, Natalie Elliot, Ph.D., said, "Today as we step forward as scientists, scholars and leaders, may we carry with us humility, collaboration and a sense of wonder. May we continue to ask bold questions, support one another generously and build lives that are as meaningful as the work we do."

Leigh Griffiths, Ph.D., MRCVS, Dean of Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, emphasized that leadership in medicine includes lifting others along the way.

"Aim to nurture others' advancement and be known for those efforts just as much as your own work," he said. "Your impact will be defined not only by what you achieve, but by who you help along the way."

The keynote speaker was Fredric Meyer, M.D., former Waugh Executive Dean of Education at Mayo Clinic and an alumnus of the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. Meyer told graduates to stay true to their values throughout their career.

"All of you who have been trained at Mayo Clinic know our primary value: the needs of the patient come first," he said. "I would also add humility as a key value. Humility as a core value will help you steer your ship straight even during the most difficult times."