The Class of 2030 marked a defining moment in its journey toward becoming physicians as the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine held its inaugural White Coat Ceremony on Sept. 11 at Methodist University’s Huff Concert Hall. Pictured is student Rhea Sachdeva receiving her white coat.
The Class of 2030 marked a defining moment in its journey toward becoming physicians as the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine held its inaugural White Coat Ceremony on Sept. 11 at Methodist University’s Huff Concert Hall.
During the ceremony, the School of Medicine’s 64 students received their white coats, a longstanding tradition in medical education that symbolizes the trust, responsibility, and commitment associated with caring for patients.
For the Class of 2030, the occasion carried an added significance. As the School of Medicine’s first class, the students are not only beginning their medical education but also helping establish the traditions and culture that will shape the institution for years to come.
“These are the first students who will live this mission the way we had envisioned it for years and years. To see them enter the profession really says to me, as the founding dean, the moment has arrived,” said Hershey Bell, MD. “The mission is real now. We are going to be socially accountable, community engaged, and equity focused. These students are going to demonstrate to the entire community that it’s more than words.”
The ceremony came less than two months after the students began taking classes in the new, $65-million, state-of-the-art School of Medicine building. The class of 64 includes 31 from North Carolina and 33 representing 15 other states.
For students, the ceremony offered an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the path they have begun and the responsibility represented by the coat they will now wear throughout their medical education.
“Receiving my white coat represents the culmination of years of hard work, perseverance, and growth that have brought me to this point,” said student Alexandra Foud. “I am honored to wear it not only as a symbol of what I have accomplished, but also as a reminder of the kind of physician I aspire to become.”
The ceremony also featured a keynote address from Dr. Roger Strasser, founding dean emeritus of NOSM University in Canada. Strasser brought a unique perspective to the occasion, having played a pivotal role in establishing the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, now NOSM University, as a medical school centered on community-engaged and distributed medical education.
Strasser spent several days in Fayetteville engaging with students and faculty ahead of the ceremony. His visit gave members of the Class of 2030 an opportunity to learn from someone who has experienced the process of building a medical school and establishing its culture from the ground up.
“The first class of students in a new medical school are true pioneers and trailblazers,” Strasser said. “They don’t have a class ahead of them to ask questions, so they become partners with the faculty, staff, communities, health system, and University in making the medical school a reality and turning it into something special.
“They have the unique opportunity to help shape the medical school and make it the right medical school for this part of North Carolina.”
Strasser’s experience resonated with the School of Medicine’s own vision for medical education, which emphasizes clinical learning, community engagement, and preparing physicians to understand and respond to the needs of the communities they serve.
As the students received their white coats and celebrated with family, friends, faculty, staff, and other members of the Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health communities, the ceremony marked the beginning of a tradition that future classes will carry forward.
For the Class of 2030, it was a reminder that becoming a physician is about more than acquiring medical knowledge. It is about earning the trust of patients, serving others, and carrying the responsibility of the profession with compassion and integrity.