LUCOM welcomes new class of medical students at annual White Coat Ceremony

Liberty University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) honored the 150 members of the Class of 2023 on Saturday, Aug. 17, during the sixth annual White Coat Ceremony, a tradition for medical schools across the country that marks the beginning of a student’s transition into the medical profession. The ceremony took place in the Center for Music and the Worship Arts.

“The study and practice of medicine is a labor of love, and we love each and every individual who joins us as part of the family of our College of Osteopathic Medicine,” said Peter A. Bell, DO, MBA, dean of LUCOM. “We believe that the body is designed by God to heal and seek health, and we engage in the efforts of healing and restoring the physical body of a patient to full function and health, while attending to the mind and spirit of that one who is in need.”

Dr. Bell noted that the ceremony not only recognizes Liberty’s newest class of osteopathic medical students, but also those who have supported and sacrificed for their loved ones as they begin this new chapter.

The keynote address was given by Kevin Klauer, DO, JD, CEO of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Dr. Klauer represents the AOA’s professional family of more than 145,000 osteopathic physicians and medical students.

Faculty members assisted the students in putting on their white coats, and each student received a lapel pin featuring the academic seal of LUCOM as well as pins from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association.

By birthplace, there are 34 states and 19 foreign countries represented in the Class of 2023. Currently, 74 percent of the class are entering the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program with a bachelor’s degree, and 25 percent with a master’s degree. Two students hold a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree. The top institutions of higher learning represented are: Liberty University, Brigham Young University, Drexel University, Georgetown University, Rutgers University – The State University of New Jersey, Texas A&M University, and the University of Virginia.

Read the full story on the LUCOM website.