PCOM’s Commencement season is just around the corner for the Class of 2026. The College will honor its graduates during three Commencement ceremonies: PCOM on April 28, PCOM Georgia on May 6, and PCOM South Georgia on May 8. Additional details for each ceremony are outlined below.
All ceremonies will be livestreamed on PCOM’s YouTube channel, with American Sign Language interpreters available both in person and on the livestream. Read on for everything you need to know before the big day.
On Tuesday, April 28 from 1-4 p.m., PCOM's Commencement ceremony will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, recognizing students who have completed degree requirements across all doctoral and graduate programs in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the School of Professional and Applied Psychology, and the School of Health Professions and Sciences. The College will also honor Laura Levy, DHSc, PA-C, as professor emerita for over 25 years of service, and Michael Venditto, DO, as professor emeritus for more than four decades of service.
PCOM Georgia's ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 6 from 1-3 p.m. at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth. The graduation ceremony will celebrate all students who have completed the degree requirements for doctoral and graduate programs in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the School of Pharmacy, and the School of Health Professions and Sciences. PCOM Georgia will also recognize Richard White, PhD, FAHA, as professor emeritus for his years of contributions to the College.
On Friday, May 8 from 1-2:30 p.m., PCOM South Georgia's Commencement ceremony will be held in the John Hunt Auditorium at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. The ceremony will celebrate the achievement of all students who have fulfilled degree requirements across the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the School of Health Professions and Sciences.
To honor the achievements of the Class of 2026, Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, the 19th and 21st U.S. Surgeon General, will deliver the PCOM Commencement address at Pennsylvania Convention Center. Murthy has advised leaders across government, business, and health care, co-chaired the White House COVID-19 Task Force under Joe Biden, and led influential initiatives that have shaped policy. Murthy is a physician, bestselling author, and advocate for social connection, with a career spanning clinical care, research, and leadership across national and global health organizations.
At PCOM Georgia, James D. Polk, DO, MS, will address the Class of 2026 during the Commencement ceremony at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth. He has held prominent leadership roles including dean of medicine at Des Moines University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, chief medical officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and chief of space medicine at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, with expertise spanning emergency, disaster, and aerospace medicine. He holds multiple board certifications and advanced degrees, and has received numerous national honors for his contributions to medicine, public health, and leadership.
Kirby O. Smith, DO, will serve as the speaker at PCOM South Georgia's 2026 Commencement Ceremony at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. He is a dedicated family physician and educator who has served as the inaugural program director of the Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program, as well as chief of staff and chief of medicine at Colquitt Regional Medical Center, with a career focused on advancing rural healthcare and medical education. Board certified in family medicine, Dr. Smith has been recognized for his humanitarian impact and leadership, mentoring generations of physicians committed to community-centered care.
For more information, visit the PCOM Commencement page and PCOM Commencement FAQs pages for all ceremonies.
Share your proud moments from PCOM, PCOM Georgia, and PCOM South Georgia using #PCOMgrad to join the Commencement conversation on social media.
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
Kristen Hopf
Communications Content Specialist
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: kristenho1@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6303
© 2026 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
