One hundred and seventy-seven newly minted medical students were presented with crisp white coats bearing the University of Michigan logo and shiny stethoscopes on Saturday, July 29. The ceremony, held in Hill Auditorium, marks the official start of their medical school journey. The keynote speaker for the event is John Del Valle, M.D., A.G.A.F., F.A.C.P., professor and director of the internal medicine residency program.

During the ceremonys calling of the class, students came up on stage, announced their hometowns and undergraduate institutions, and were then presented with short white coats a symbol of their future profession, emphasizing the trust, humanity, and responsibility that comes with becoming a physician.

Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president for medical affairs and dean of the medical school, noted that This is an incredible time to be entering medicine and to begin your medical training and education. Medicine is changing rapidly, and the advances that will be possible in your careers will be amazing.

Class selected from record number of applications

The class was selected from a pool of nearly 7,000 applicants, according toSteven Gay, M.D., M.S, assistant dean for admissions for the medical school, the highest number of applications the school has ever seen.

The diverse class is 54 percent female and 19 percent from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in medicine. The majority come to medical school after gaining experiences beyond college.

As our educational programs continue to evolve, this incoming class is truly remarkable for their potential to become leaders and change agents in health and science, says Rajesh Mangrulkar, M.D., associate dean for medical student education. This is the vision we have set for the new curriculum.

The incoming class will be immersed in the clinical care world of Michigan Medicine from the beginning. Theyll develop an understanding of the immense importance of teamwork while they engage in inter-professional education experiences with students enrolled in U-Ms other health professions schools. In addition, as the first class with a capstone project graduation requirement, they will receive enhanced training in leadership and have the opportunity to demonstrate their impact in medicine through one of eight scholarly concentrations, called Paths of Excellence.

Read one incoming medical students story about working alongside her U-M heart doctor dad.

For more about the curriculum, visithttps://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/curriculum (link is external).

More facts about this years incoming class:

To see the full 2017 entering class profile, visit https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/our-community/students-faculty/admitted-class-profile.

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White Coat Ceremony Begins Medical School Journey | Michigan ... - University of Michigan Health System News (press release)