Future Physicians Welcomed at the 2025 White Coat Ceremony

UC Irvine School of Medicine’s Class of 2029 donned their white coats for the first time and took the physician’s oath during the time-honored tradition of the White Coat Ceremony.

The newest generation of physicians marked the official start of their journey in medical education on Friday, Aug. 8 as the UC Irvine School of Medicine welcomed the incoming Class of 2029 at the 2025 White Coat Ceremony. As the 114 students, selected from a pool of over 7,000 applicants, were ushered into the Irvine Barclay Theatre, they walked with excitement and anticipation — and with white coats draped over their arms.

“Today, we present our incoming students with their white coats as a symbol of the journey toward becoming doctors,” said Dean Michael J. Stamos, MD.

Speaking to the enthusiastic crowd of family, friends, mentors and loved ones, Stamos talked about the time-honored tradition of donning the white coat. Throughout the years, the white coat has been viewed as representing the “pureness” of medicine and its ability to heal.

Among the new students are 98 California residents and 67 graduates of the University of California. Twenty students are members of one of UC Irvine’s Program in Medical Education (PRIME) initiatives, with 10 in the PRIME-Latino Community (PRIME-LC) program and 10 in the PRIME Leadership Education to Advance Doctoring - African, Black and Caribbean (PRIME LEAD-ABC) program. Another seven are part of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), including Ian Oh, who looks forward to “becoming a physician, performing neurodegenerative disease research and participating in student-run volunteer free clinics.”

PRIME-LC student Nydia Gomez looks forward to “building community” with her peers and “continuing work with underserved communities across Orange County.”

Oh and Gomez, along with the rest of their cohort, were excited to take the physician’s oath, signifying their commitment to compassionate care.

“You will help guide us to the new generation of healthcare and the achievement of a society where healthcare is perceived as a right, available to all,” said Stamos, noting that health equity is a pillar of UCI Health. “You will be called on to embrace evidence-based integrative health and transcend current boundaries by creating clinical programs that predict and prevent disease. You will also personalize care during illness, and improve the health of populations,” he continued.

Then, highlighting the upcoming opening of UCI Health – Irvine, he talked about how the new seven-story building will be the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital. “You are starting your journey at one of the most exciting times in the history of the School of Medicine,” he said. “We are training you to be doctors of the future.”

As evidence of that training, each student received a handheld Butterfly ultrasound, a small portable device that can scan a person’s entire body and display the results on a smartphone. “Truly 21st-century technology!” said Stamos. “We wish you much success on your journey. … Welcome class of 2029!”