In just 26 months, students in Temple’s physician assistant studies program go through intensive preclinical training into real-world rotations across the university’s hospital system and partner sites, which leads to a master of medical science degree. 

Since its inception in 2016, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s physician assistant program has been preparing future healthcare professionals to confidently translate classroom learning into clinical practice, meeting the medical needs of communities wherever their careers take them. This year marked the program’s 10-year anniversary. 

In just 26 months, the physician assistant program’s Class of 2026 completed intensive preclinical training and took part in real clinical rotations across the university’s hospital system and partner sites, addressing the diverse medical needs of patients in the North Philadelphia community, across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and beyond. 

On July 31, faculty, families and friends filled Mitten Hall with applause as graduates from the physician assistant Class of 2026 crossed the stage, were hooded and received their master of medical science degree envelopes, during the program’s ninth annual graduation ceremony.  

The Class of 2026 included 35 graduates, three of whom have already accepted positions within Temple Health. This year’s cohort also included three students who previously earned an undergraduate or postbaccalaureate degree at Temple. Historically, about 80% of graduates from each class have continued their careers as physician assistants in the tri-state area. 

“This program has become an important part of Katz’s long-standing commitment to educating exceptional healthcare professionals who serve patients and strengthen communities,” said Amy Goldberg, the Marjorie Joy Katz Dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. “We set the bar in this program very high. We instill the art of medicine, the touch, connection, humanity and compassion, so that on day one students will have an impact and make an immediate difference. 

“In Temple’s physician assistant training program, students learn what it means to be versatile and adaptive, capable of operating in diverse settings,” Goldberg added. “Their ability to work collaboratively with doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers is a skill and vital necessity in delivering the highest standard of care.”  

Among the graduates was Melanie Chalfin, CST ’19, MED ’26, who reflected on the connections and experiences that made her time in the physician assistant program memorable. 

“On graduation day, I felt physically light. I was so happy to be surrounded by my family and friends who supported me throughout the entire program,” said Chalfin, whose father, Robert Chalfin, MED ’94, also earned a medical degree from Temple in 1994 and became an internal medicine physician. 

“This class was truly able to get to know each other on a personal level after spending long days together in the same classroom from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout our didactic year. It was very nice to not be in competition with these people, my colleagues, my cohort; we were all so supportive of each other.”  

Chalfin’s path to pursuing a career in the medical field began with a personal childhood experience that inspired a lifelong passion for medicine. When she was 4 years old, her mother Bonnie Chalfin, KLN ’90, experienced a racing heart, chest pain and shortness of breath after giving birth to her younger brother Jared, CLA ’20. Bonnie Chalfin was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and underwent a successful open-heart surgery to replace her mitral valve with a mechanical valve. 

“If you’re close to my mom and in a silent room, you can actually hear her heart and the valve ticking, which was always a comfort for me growing up,” Chalfin said. “Seeing the compassion and care that her cardiologist provided her and continues to provide 20 years later, I was always fascinated by how medicine could prolong someone’s life, which inspired me to want to do the same.” 

Another Class of 2026 graduate, Victoria L’Insalata, MED ’26, reflected on the strong bonds and shared experiences that brought the cohort together during the ceremony’s closing remarks.  

“Over the past 26 months, we survived endless lectures; countless exams; blood, sweat and tears; and experiences we will never forget and somehow more fun than we ever thought possible,” said L’Insalata. “We learned how medicine is far more than memorizing diagnoses or mastering procedures; it is learning to listen before speaking, seeing our patients as people first and never losing the curiosity to learn. 

“We celebrated together, laughed until we cried and somehow made it through every challenge side by side,” she added. “It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to know each and every person in this cohort.”