College of Medicine Welcomes Class of 2017

CINCINNATI—The College Medicine welcomed 173 first-year students into the medical field on Friday, Aug. 9, during the college’s 18th annual White Coat Ceremony, held at the Aronoff Center, downtown.

Each member of the class of 2017 was presented with a white coat symbolizing their entry into the medical profession; the UC Alumni Association provides the coats as a gift.

This year’s class is the largest class in recent years, coming from 23 different states and including 40 percent from outside Ohio. The class also has the highest MCAT score of recent classes and ties for the most diverse, with 13 percent of students from underrepresented minority groups.

"We are very excited about our incoming class this year,” says Dean of College of Medicine Thomas Boat, MD. "Not only are their scores among the highest we’ve ever had, but they come from all parts of the country and from many tremendous colleges and universities. Our admissions process has really worked very well in identifying bright, compassionate people who are going to become wonderful physicians.”

Through this week, incoming first years have gone through their orientation process, learning about the medical curriculum from both faculty and students, attending small group sessions with mentors and participating in activity fairs, cooking classes and a Cincinnati-wide scavenger hunt.

"One of the highlights of the orientation week, for students and faculty, is dining at the homes of faculty and alumni,” says Aurora Bennett, MD, associate dean for student affairs. "The evening get-together provides an intimate setting for relaxation and laughter as students become better acquainted with each other and our medical community.”

During Friday’s ceremony, Boat and UC President Santa Ono, PhD, gave their own remarks, followed by a keynote address by Laura Wexler, MD, adjunct professor of medicine and recipient of the 2013 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. 

Read the full keynote address online.

At the end of the ceremony, the new class carried out another annual tradition with a reading of its own unique "Oath of Professionalism,” written by students during their orientation week. Andrew Filak, MD, senior associate dean of the College of Medicine and UC vice president for health affairs, led the student recitation.