Georgetown University School of Medicine on August 6 held its time-honored White Coat Ceremony commemorating the beginning of medical education for its 174th class of students—the most diverse in the school’s history. Members of the Class of 2025 gathered with friends and loved ones at Georgetown’s McDonough Arena to take the first step in their journey to becoming physicians.
Of the 203 students in the Class of 2025, 62 self-identified as underrepresented in medicine, about twice as many compared to the Class of 2024. The Class of 2025 not only is the most diverse class in School of Medicine history but also underwent the most selective admissions cycle. Applications to the School of Medicine increased by 24 percent over the previous year, with nearly 18,000 applicants and a selectivity rate of 2.39 percent.
Speaking at the White Coat Ceremony, Lee Jones, MD, Georgetown’s new dean for medical education, said the admissions committee saw something special about each of the students in the Class of 2025. “Your task is to learn, to study, to do all of those things, and to hold on to who you are, why we picked you.” He continued, “What sets you apart in our minds is that you are the people that we would want taking care of someone that we love.”
Michelle Roett, MD (M’03), MPH, professor and chair in the Department of Family Medicine and director of DC Area Health Education Center, encouraged students to help promote and maintain an inclusive learning environment at the School of Medicine.
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“I am so proud of the evolution of my school, and yet I know there is more work to be done to reach inclusive excellence,” said Roett, who serves as faculty co-chair of the Racial Justice Committee for Change. “I am ready for this work and I dedicate myself to the school’s continuous improvement just as I dedicated myself to this journey in medicine 22 years ago. I hope you do the same as you join our ranks as a student at Georgetown University School of Medicine.”
Read more about this year’s White Coat Ceremony on the Georgetown University Medical Center website.