The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education

🎓 Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

We were honored to celebrate our incredible resident and fellow physicians as they mark the completion of their training with us and begin the next chapter of their medical journeys.

Through years of dedication, compassion, and perseverance, they have grown as clinicians, leaders, and advocates for their patients and communities. We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to see the difference they will continue to make throughout their careers.

Wherever your paths lead, you will always be part of the Wright Center family. 💜

Download the full set of graduation photos and the ceremony program ➡️ TheWrightGraduation.org/.

🌟 Then & Now 🌟

Meet Dr. Paul Dende – a 1986 graduate of our Internal Medicine Residency Program, formerly known as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program ➡️ now serving as Chief Medical Officer with WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Reflecting on his journey, Dr. Dende shared:

“My internal medicine residency provided a strong foundation for my career, shaped by exceptional mentors such as Drs. [Salvatore] Scialla, [Henry] Yeager, [Stephen] Pancoast, [Rodger] Fagerberg, [Christopher] Dressel, and others. The camaraderie and collaboration among the twelve members of my residency class continue to inspire me and affirm a lasting truth in medicine: no one can succeed alone.”

We’re proud to celebrate alumni like Dr. Dende who are making a lasting impact in healthcare, driven by the foundation they built with us in Northeast Pennsylvania. 👏

Discover how our GME programs are building tomorrow’s physician leaders: https://bit.ly/465rEkd.

🎭 Our incoming cohort of residents and fellows came together for a mask painting session as part of orientation. This activity offers a chance to reflect on professional identity and what it means to show up as both a clinician and a person as they begin this next chapter with us.

📸 Check out the photos to see what they created!

⛳ Orientation is in full swing!

Our newest residents and fellows tried their hand at a golf putting challenge, courtesy of NET Credit Union. It was a great way to relax, have some fun, and get to know each other before diving into their training.

👟 What a great way to kick off a Saturday morning!

Last weekend we launched our first-ever Walk with a Doc at Bingham Park in Hawley, bringing community members and members of our medical team together for a morning of light exercise, fresh air, and friendly conversation.

Walk with a Doc is a free, monthly program open to all ages and fitness levels. Whether you want to get your steps in, ask a health question, or simply connect with your neighbors, there is a place for you on these walks.

We have another walk tomorrow, June 13, at 9 a.m. at the Olive Street entrance to the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail in Scranton! Visit our Events page for more details and dates ➡️ https://thewrightcenter.org/events/.

📸 In honor of our 50 year anniversary, we're taking a look back at the milestones that shaped who we are today.

In 1977, the inaugural class of the Scranton-Temple Internal Medicine Residency Program gathered for a photo at Mercy Hospital in Scranton, marking the beginning of what would evolve into The Wright Center for Community Health and The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.

Pictured standing from left: namesake founder Dr. Robert Wright with Drs. Michael Mintzer, David Eisner, Gerald Carver, and Kenneth Rudolph. Seated from left: Drs. Michael Rainey and Bruce Rappaport.

Read more about our 50 year journey ➡️ https://thewrightcenter.org/50-years-of-care-training-transformation/.

Congratulations to Dr. Sara Khatab on earning 3rd place in the Education category at The American Geriatrics Society's 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting Resident Poster Session! 🏆

Dr. Khatab, an internal medicine resident physician completing our combined internal medicine-geriatrics integrated pathway, presented her poster "Geriatrics Education Innovation: Integrating the 4Ms into Internal Medicine Training." It highlights a resident-led initiative to bring the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms Framework into everyday internal medicine residency training.

We are so proud of her dedication to advancing geriatric education and her commitment to better care for older adults!

There's still time to join Rumba & Roll!👨‍🦽‍➡️💃

The final practice in this free wheelchair ballroom and Latin dance series will take place tomorrow, June 10, from 6-7 p.m. at Allied Services Corporate Center in Clarks Summit.

Led in part by our Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation resident, Dr. Jackson Carney, Rumba & Roll brings people together through movement, music, and fun.

Interested in joining the final session? Contact Dr. Carney at [email protected] for details.

🌟 Meet our incoming cardiovascular disease fellow, Dr. Trung Le. 🌟

Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Dr. Le completed his internal medicine residency in his hometown at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine. He was drawn to cardiology "because it sits at the intersection of acute, high-stakes intervention and long-term prevention," he says. "You can save a life in the Cath lab and also change its trajectory through lifestyle and risk-factor management. That blend of immediacy and longitudinal impact is what kept pulling me back to the field."

Dr. Le also expressed the connection between his goals and our commitment to community-based care. "So many programs talk about serving their population. Here, it's clearly built into the mission and the day-to-day work. That alignment with my own goal of advancing community health and prevention made this feel like the right place to train."

Outside of medicine, he enjoys endurance athletics such as marathons and Ironman triathlons, and is an avid food lover. He's excited to explore the local trails and experience the community, but expressed that he's most excited for his training with our fellows. We're proud to welcome Dr. Le to our Graduate Medical Education family this summer! 🩵🫀

Meet Our Matches! 🎉

We're thrilled to welcome Elfego Galvan, D.O., Ph.D., to The Wright Center family this June as an internal medicine resident physician. 🩺

Swipe through to get to know Dr. Galvan – his journey, his interests, and what he's looking forward to as he begins this next chapter with us! 💙