MSM Welcomes Largest Entering Class in School’s History
The auditorium at Morehouse School of Medicine was at capacity for the 35th Fall Convocation & White Coat and Pinning Ceremony. Primarily due to the growth the school has seen this year. MSM officially welcomed 211 new students at the event on Friday, Sept. 20
The 2019 record enrollment of future leaders in health and science professions is spurred by the addition of MSM’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program with its first cohort class of 20 students. The school also added nine students in the new hybrid Executive Master’s in Public Health degree, which combines online course work with in-person experiences, and four students in the recently added online Master of Science in Biotechnology program.
“Many of you are ‘the firsts.’ Family and friends have made sacrifices for you to be where you are today and are very proud of you already,” said Franklyn Geary, MD to the students before giving them some advice. “Since you are embarking on a new journey, you have to have a strategy for success, a blueprint. To be your best self, let your blueprint include introspection, caring, and commitment.”
MSM President and Dean Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, announced a generous donation from The Coca-Cola Foundation to the audience. The organization pledged more than $2 million in scholarship support for MSM students. The funds will support 13 four-year, full-tuition medical student scholarships for members of the 2023 and 2024 graduating classes.
Convocation recognizes and celebrates the incoming class of students and serves as the official kickoff of the new academic year. Included in the event is the time-honored tradition of the White Coat and Pinning Ceremony.
Incoming first-year MD and – for the first time– Physician Assistant Studies students received their white coats, while students in the Graduate Education in Biomedical Sciences programs are fitted with their lab coats and pins as symbols of the trust bestowed upon them as they carry on the noble traditions of medicine and science. Incoming Master of Public Health students received blue blazers and pins symbolizing their entrance into a field dedicated to protecting the public health and welfare of our communities.
The Fall 2019 entering class by program:
- Doctor of Medicine: 99
- Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies: 20
- Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences: 10
- Master of Science in Biomedical Research: 8
- Master of Science in Biomedical Technology: 1
- Online Master of Science in Biotechnology: 4
- Master of Science in Clinical Research: 4
- Master of Science in Medical Sciences: 25
- Master of Science in Neuroscience: 4
- Master of Public Health: 27
- Hybrid Executive Master of Public Health: 9
