UT Tyler med school welcomes third class during ceremony

Published 5:30 am Thursday, July 31, 2025

The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine recently welcomed its third class of 40 students with a White Coat Ceremony, presented by UT Health East Texas.

“All of these students bring a heart for service and a deep commitment to making a difference,” said Dr. Sue Cox, UT Tyler School of Medicine dean. “They truly embody our core values — perseverance, excellence, respect, creativity, community and service. I am excited to see the meaningful impact they will have on East Texas.”

During the event, students were presented with a white coat and a Humanism in Medicine pin. The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Jeffrey L. Levin, School of Medicine provost emeritus and Population Health and System Science course director. Dr. David Rice, the School of Medicine assistant dean of foundation sciences, led the recitation of the Physician’s Oath.

According to the School of Medicine, 90% of students in the third class have ties to East Texas counties. This ratio is not uncommon for the population of students at the UT Tyler medical school, which aims to train doctors in the region in which they’ll hopefully choose to stay and work.

“We know that if students go to medical school in a location, even if they leave for residency, about 60% will return back to that location,” Cox said in a previous interview with the Tyler Morning Telegraph. “And if we can keep them here for residency, 85% will stay in the area to practice, so that will help improve access to care.”

Students felt a great sense of pride receiving their white coats.

“For me, White Coat symbolizes the embracement of a livelihood of servantship,” said Samantha Schott, Longview native and first-year medical student. “It is not only the beginning of a new journey for ourselves as individuals, but also a continuing advancement for our community’s health care. White Coat represents our commitment to the continuation and empowering of our current East Texas health care system. The excitement and honor of White Coat is something that I can’t even begin to put into words.”

The school typically receives over 2,000 applications and interviews hundreds of students to be considered for selection in each incoming class.

The White Coat Ceremony was initiated in 1993 at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons by Dr. Arnold P. Gold. Gold, an advocate for humanistic health care, believed that the oath taken by new physicians at the end of medical school came too late. The Arnold P. Gold Foundation has expanded the White Coat Ceremony around the globe.

A major milestone is approaching for the UT Tyler School of Medicine, including the completion of the new Medical Education Building. The five-story, nearly 248,000-square-foot facility, which will connect the skybridge to the UT Health East Texas Hospital, will allow for hands-on learning of residents in the adjacent hospitals, offering physicians to train and practice without leaving the area. The Medical Education Building will include classrooms, simulation labs, clinical and operating room training spaces, and multipurpose event and lecture spaces for the UT Tyler School of Medicine and graduate medical education programs.

The building will be completed by Oct. 1, Cox said in a previous interview. The building will have an education and clinical portion, which will be completed three weeks after the initial completion. After the completion of both sides, students will begin to take classes by Thanksgiving.

UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.