More Than a White Coat: College of Medicine Welcomes Largest Class in History

UT Health Sciences College of Medicine members of the Class of 2030 recite the Oath of Hippocrates together during the annual White Coat Ceremony, affirming their commitment to the ethical principles that will guide them throughout their careers.

One by one, 181 first-year medical students walked across the Cannon Center stage in Memphis recently, as faculty members from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Medicine helped them into their first white coats.

The annual White Coat Ceremony represents one of medicine's earliest traditions. This year's event carried additional significance. The Class of 2030 is the largest class in the College of Medicine's history.

The 181 medical students represent 29 Tennessee counties and 16 additional states. The class includes former college athletes, musicians, student government leaders, Eagle Scouts and two sets of twins, along with several students who already hold doctoral degrees.

A Tradition of Trust

The meaning of the ceremony extends far beyond the white coat itself. It serves as a reminder that becoming a physician is not simply about acquiring knowledge. It is about earning trust, embracing responsibility and committing to a lifetime of service.

Executive Dean Michael Hocker, MD, challenged the students to see the white coat differently from how the world might see other symbols of professional success. While a business suit may represent achievement or authority, he said, a white coat represents something far more enduring.

Executive Dean Michael Hocker, MD, addresses the College of Medicine's incoming class during the White Coat Ceremony July 24 in Memphis.

"Remember that medicine is about more than knowing anatomy or passing exams. It's about listening when someone needs to be heard, offering hope when it may be hard to find and showing up with compassion when people are at their most vulnerable. Those moments are often worth more than any diagnosis or procedure.

"From here on, your knowledge will continue to grow and your skills will develop, but your greatest strength will always be the humility and humanity you bring to every patient you encounter."

Before the ceremony began, the college's Assistant Dean of Admissions Dustin Fulton, EdD, introduced the class whose experiences already reflect a commitment to serving those around them.

Words to Carry Forward

Anja Dabelić, MD, FAAFP, the university's new assistant vice chancellor of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice, delivered the keynote address. A family medicine physician and retired Navy Captain, Dr. Dabelić's 24-year naval career has spanned military medicine, leadership and patient care. Drawing from her own experiences, she offered encouragement to students as they embark on a profession that will challenge them intellectually, while calling them to lead with empathy and integrity.

"You come to medical school believing you're here to learn how to become a physician. And you are. But something unexpected happens along the way," she said. "Your patients begin teaching you how to become a better human being.

"Patients you have never met will someday invite you into the most intimate moments of their lives. They will trust you with their fears, their hopes, their families and sometimes their final moments. That trust is sacred, so protect it fiercely.

"Class of 2030, today you receive your white coat. Tomorrow, you begin earning it."

Members of the college's largest medicine class, the Class of 2030, stand together on the Cannon Center stage after receiving their white coats.

After receiving their coats, the class members stood together to recite the Oath of Hippocrates, affirming their commitment to the ethical principles that will guide them throughout their careers.

For families, the afternoon celebrated years of sacrifice and perseverance. For faculty, it marked the beginning of mentoring the next generation of physicians. And for the 181 students standing together in crisp white coats for the first time, it was both an arrival and a new beginning.

Building for What's Next

As the Class of 2030 begins its medical education, the college is also building for the generations that will follow. The new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building, expected to open in 2029, will nearly double the college's educational space and support an enrollment increase to 250 students per class.

These campus improvements will expand the university's ability to educate and support the physician workforce in Tennessee and beyond.