Class of 2026: Luke Arney builds a medical career grounded in community and compassion
“I think holding onto your purpose is everything,” Arney said. “That’s what carries you through the hard parts.”
Name: Luke Arney
College: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Degree: M.D.
Plans after graduation: Internal medicine residency, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, Jacksonville, Florida.
Favorite Hokie memory: When a faculty mentor showed up for his family during a difficult time — a moment that defined what being a Hokie means to him.
Ready to serve
Arney’s journey to becoming a physician is rooted in the small Southwest Virginia community where he grew up, a place that continues to shape how he approaches medicine today. A first-generation college student, Arney saw Virginia Tech as more than just a university.
“I sort of always saw Virginia Tech as my dream school,” he said. “When the medical school opened basically in my hometown, it just felt like everything was coming together.”
After attending William & Mary for undergraduate studies and working as a surgical technician, Arney returned home to attend the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, drawn by both the program and the opportunity to serve a community he knows deeply.
Grounded in community, shaped by experience
Training close to where he grew up in Fincastle gave Arney a perspective few medical students experience, caring for patients he often already knew.
“The number of times I’ve walked into a room and known the patient has been crazy,” he said. “It made medicine very personal. It was impossible not to care.”
That connection strengthened his commitment to patient-centered care, especially in a region where health challenges are often intertwined with personal and community histories.
“I could see my own family in some of my patients,” he said. “It gives you a different level of empathy, and responsibility.”
A turning point that defined his path
Early in his clinical training, Arney encountered the pressures that many future physicians face: long hours, emotional strain, and the weight of responsibility. His father’s unexpected death compounded those stresses.
“When my dad passed, we were holding the funeral in Fincastle and there was so much weighing on me. One of the most impactful moments of my life was seeing Dr. Aubrey Knight show up that morning,” Arney said of the former senior dean of student affairs. “I’m not sure how he found out about it, but I know how busy he is, and for him to drop everything to be there for me meant so much.”
Recognizing the need to reset, he leaned on Knight’s mentorship and support and took time to reflect.
“I was starting to feel burnout at the very beginning,” he said. “Taking a step back to refocus helped me figure out what really mattered.”
Through that process, Arney identified his core values: humility, passion, and genuineness. He also made a pivotal decision to switch his planned specialty from urology to internal medicine.
“Once I aligned my work with those values, everything changed,” he said. “I came back on fire.”
That transformation stood out to faculty, including Knight.
“It was my privilege to have walked alongside Luke during much of his medical school journey,” Knight said. “His journey was marked by some family hardship. What stands out most to me about Luke was his courage in the face of this, courage to pause his training to address his own health and wellbeing. That self-awareness will make him a more empathetic and grounded physician."
Looking ahead: Medicine and family
As Arney prepares to begin his residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, he’s also preparing to step into a new role — fatherhood. He and his wife, Lindsey, are expecting their first child this summer, adding excitement and complexity to an already busy transition.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Arney said. “New city, residency, and a baby on the way. It will be crazy, but I’m excited for all of it.”
With a growing interest in cardiology, Arney is eager to continue learning while staying grounded in the values that shaped his journey. He recalled feeling a strong connection with Atul Gawande’s commencement address at UCLA Medical School in 2018, where the renowned surgeon argued that prioritizing empathy and deep curiosity is essential to maintaining both high-quality, patient-centered care and long-term personal resilience in medicine.
“If you can still be touched, if you can still be moved, if you can still be afraid for your patient, then you are still a healer,” Gawande said.
For Arney, his time at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine has made his purpose clear: to serve patients with authenticity, compassion, and a deep understanding of where they come from.
“I think holding onto your purpose is everything,” he said. “That’s what carries you through the hard parts.”
