29th Annual White Coat Ceremony Welcomes Class of 2029

UMSOM welcomes 173 students into the practice of medicine

In a highly anticipated annual ritual for incoming medical school students, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Class of 2029 received their first white coats on August 8. The 173 new students gathered at the historic Hippodrome Theatre along with family, friends, faculty, and staff to take part in the decades old tradition of the White Coat Ceremony.

Throughout the ceremony, several speakers shared advice with the class, emphasizing the importance of the significance of the white coat for those on the path to becoming physicians and the vast community of support they have in their journeys. “Our students will be responsible for changing people’s lives, for shaping communities, and for influencing the world in which we all live,” said Kerri Thom, MD, MS, Associate Dean for Student Affairs during her opening remarks. “Educating, mentoring and encouraging our students to become physicians and the best version of themselves is both a professional and personal joy that we all value here at the School of Medicine. I personally am looking forward to seeing each and every one of them grow into bright, compassionate, and competent physicians.”

Selected from among more than 7,000 applications, the students of the Class of 2029 come to UMSOM from 67 colleges and universities, with 69 percent of the class attending as in-state students.

“Each one of our 173 students in the Class of 2029 has earned their spot here,” Dr. Thom continued. “They have been reviewed and selected, and we believe they are more than capable of succeeding in medical school and achieving their goals.”

UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, shared his reflections on the white coat and reminded students to lean in during the challenging times.

“By donning a white coat, you prepare for a career of lifelong learning where you strive to be better and better as physicians, physician-scientists, and humanists, even as gray hairs start to appear,” he said. “And when those days are hard, and they will be, you will be part of a family. You will embrace your vulnerability. You will ask for help and support from me, your faculty mentors, your family, and your friends. We are all supporters on this mission that you will lead.”

Class of 2026 Class President Tarek Antar also imparted an important wellness reminder for students emphasizing that excellence in patient care begins with taking care of yourself too.  

 “Today, you’re going to put the coat on, and it will change you, but I also hope you learn when and why you need to take it off," he said. Because the best doctors I’ve met aren’t the ones who burn out trying to wear it every second of every day, but the ones who learn how to take care of the person under the coat too.”

Following remarks, students were ceremoniously called to the stage where UMSOM faculty members helped them don their white coats for the first time. They then signed the Honor Registry, a permanent record of incoming students’ commitment to the school’s great history and honor, and received a stethoscope as a gift, sponsored by the alumni of the Medical Alumni Association. Students then recited the Code of Honor, led by Devang Patel, MD, Assistant Dean for the Pre-Clerkship Curriculum, and several Class of 2029 student volunteers, who each read a portion of the oath in their native language to celebrate the diversity of the class.

First-year medical student Amanda Bair, who is also in UMSOM’s second class of Rural-MD Scholars, expressed her excitement about her future commitment to serving patients on the Eastern Shore. Ms. Bair has received a full-tuition scholarship to return to practice in the community upon completing her residency training.

“I hope to return to Cambridge to take care of my community and have an active role in outreach to local middle and high school students,” she said. “I want to inspire the next generation of rural doctors.”

The presenting sponsor for this year’s White Coat Ceremony was Whiting-Turner.

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