Hundreds of aspiring physicians took their first formal steps toward becoming doctors this month as medical schools across the country held annual White Coat Ceremonies welcoming their incoming Class of 2030.

The ceremonies mark each student’s formal entry into the medical profession.

The White Coat Ceremony was established in 1993 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons to emphasize compassion, humanism, and professional ethics at the very start of medical training rather than at graduation. It has become a defining rite of passage at medical schools nationwide.

At Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, 96 students were welcomed on August 7 at the M&T Bank Center, according to WTNH. The incoming class collectively speaks 26 languages, hails from 15 states and represents 56 undergraduate institutions, according to the university. Before arriving at Quinnipiac, the class had logged more than 116,000 hours of community service, 139,000 hours of research, and 301,000 hours of paid clinical experience.

Keynote speaker John Huston, MD, from the inaugural class of 2017, a pulmonary and critical care physician with Hartford HealthCare, urged new students to think beyond the coat itself.

“Today we will hand you a white coat. Your origin story begins,” Huston said. “You’ll fill it with stethoscopes, pagers, reflex hammers, maybe even snacks. But the pocket that matters most is the one here that no one can see. Because one day, when a frightened patient looks up at you, everything you’ve placed inside that pocket will guide you. And it is who they’ll remember.”

In her closing remarks, Ellen Pearlman, MD, Quinnipiac’s senior associate dean for education, praised the class for their richly varied backgrounds, which included pizza makers, farm hands, substitute teachers, restaurant owners, startup founders, watchmakers, deli managers, and firefighters.

“Now Frank Netter would have been so proud of that,” Pearlman said.

At Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, 120 students received their white coats on August 7. The incoming class ranges in age from 20 to 36 years, comes from 57 undergraduate institutions and 21 states, and includes 11 students who already hold graduate degrees in fields including biomedical science, data science, public health, and epidemiology, according to Duke.

Joseph Jackson Jr, MD, associate dean and director of Duke’s Office of Student Affairs, told students the coat carries both practical and symbolic weight.

“We invite you to embrace this transition,” Jackson said. “Don’t rush it and even rejoice that right now, your coat is short. Use this time to be less concerned with what you don’t know and approach the day with curiosity and gratitude.”

Aditee Narayan, MD, MPH, Duke’s vice dean for medical education, said the outpouring of support from students’ families was among the day’s most memorable moments.

“The amount of pride, the amount of love, and the amount of support that I could feel from the people in the room for our newest students was absolutely palpable,” Narayan said.

Julian T. Hertz, MD, Duke’s assistant dean for clinical education, offered words of reassurance, recalling his own sense of uncertainty at his own White Coat Ceremony years earlier.

“So if any of you are feeling a little bit out of place”, Hertz told the class, “I want to reassure you: You belong here.”

At LSU Health Shreveport, 150 students were welcomed during a ceremony at the historic Strand Theatre in downtown Shreveport, according to the school. In a tradition that adds a personal touch, some students received their white coats from immediate family members who are practicing physicians, creating a meaningful connection between generations of medical professionals.

For first-generation medical student Sarah Murphy of Shreveport, the ceremony carried special significance.

“Today has meant everything to me,” Murphy said. “It signifies the beginning of my journey. I’ve worked my entire life to get here, and I’m proud to share this moment with my friends and family. LSU Health Shreveport has prepared us well, and I feel ready for the next 4 years.”

Fellow incoming student Asjad Mansoor of Alexandria described the coat as a symbol of both responsibility and purpose.

“This coat means the world,” Mansoor said. “It’s a huge responsibility but having the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life is something special. That’s why most of us want to become physicians.”

Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia, welcomed its largest incoming class in school history — 105 students representing 24 states — at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center on July 31, according to WVNews.com. Thirty students hail from West Virginia, and 85% of the class comes from medically underserved regions.

Students received the traditional white coat — described by the school as “a powerful symbol of trust, compassion and professionalism” — and took the physician’s oath. Ali Oliashirazi, MD, and his wife, Corinna, donated funds to provide stethoscopes for all incoming students, while 160 School of Medicine alumni, family, and friends sponsored the white coats and other medical instruments distributed during orientation.

The total number of students beginning their medical school journeys nationwide won’t be known for a few months. But in 2025, more than 100,000 students enrolled in US medical schools, the first-time enrollment has hit that milestone, according to the AAMC.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.