Marking the start of 50th anniversary, Rowan-Virtua SOM welcomes Class of 2029 with White Coat Ceremony

The Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM) Class of 2029 received their white coats in dual White Coat Ceremonies held on August 8 at Rowan University’s Glassboro campus. The largest incoming medical school class in New Jersey gathered with faculty, friends and family in Pfleeger Concert Hall to mark the occasion. 

White coats are designed to serve as a reminder to physicians of their duty to practice medicine with humanism and professionalism. The White Coat Ceremony, celebrated at Rowan-Virtua SOM since 1996, is the symbolic start of the medical school journey. This class, the largest in Rowan-Virtua SOM’s 50-year history, will make a direct impact on New Jersey’s growing physician shortage, as over half are from the Garden State.  

Dr. Richard Jermyn, dean of Rowan-Virtua SOM, welcomed the class, noting their diversity of backgrounds and experiences. “While over 60 percent of this class hails from New Jersey, with 15 percent from South Jersey, we welcome our students from 19 states across the nation to New Jersey and Rowan-Virtua SOM. We are also excited to welcome our largest cohort of international students yet – 18 students. In total, the class is represented by 8 countries, making the Class of 2029 the most globally diverse to date!” 

He went on to urge students to aspire to ever greater things: “Remember, when the health of your patients is at risk, be an advocate. Go into the community and don’t be afraid to be a disruptor—especially when it is for the health and well-being of another.” 

Rowan University Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, Voki Pophristic also addressed the incoming class, expressing her excitement about the bright future that awaits them at Rowan-Virtua SOM. “You have come to a very special place at a very special time,” she said. “Rowan-Virtua SOM is kicking off its 50th anniversary and our university is growing like few others across the nation!” Pophristic spoke about the significance of Rowan-Virtua SOM being part of the Virtua Health College of Medicine & Health Sciences, highlighting how this partnership would allow more students to learn alongside doctors in South Jersey’s largest health system. 

Students were welcomed with two gifts in their white coats. The traditional White Coat Note, personally written by faculty, staff, or an administrator, extended a warm welcome and congratulations to students embarking on their medical careers. They also received a naloxone dispenser (NARCAN), a nasal spray that saves lives in drug overdose emergencies, serving as a reminder of the critical role students will undertake in their medical journeys. 

Student Council President and a member of the class of 2027, Jyothi Maruthanal, came to the podium next with words of encouragement for her new peers. “You are not alone on this journey. Look behind you at the family and friends who lifted you up to this point, and now look beside you at the classmates who will become your study partners, your support system, your lifeline during long nights and early mornings, and often your lifelong friends,” she said.  

“Here, we do not just build future physicians, we build a family. One that lifts each other up, leans on each other, and pushes forward together.”