Burnett School of Medicine First-Year Students Receive White Coats

FORT WORTH – Sixty new medical students at TCU School of Medicine received their customary white coats as they begin their journey to become physicians.

“Those of us at the TCU School of Medicine are passionate about being a part of your journey,” said Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., the Founding Dean of the TCU School of Medicine. “Celebrate this moment. You all have worked hard to get here and you’re going to work hard from this point forward and we are going to be next to you every step of the way in your journeys.”

The students received their white coats at TCU’s Legends Club at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Each year, white coat ceremonies are held by medical schools all across the U.S. and medical students receive their short white coats. It signifies the beginning of their journey to achieve the long white coat, when they are physicians, according to the American Medical Association.

The TCU School of Medicine adds their own twist to the celebration by having family members gathered around each medical student to help them put on their white coat for the first time.

The Class of 2026 also, made history by rounding out the student body at the medical school bringing the total amount of students to 240.

“As we stand here all together in this room we are making TCU School of Medicine history,” said Erin Nelson, Psy.D., Assistant Dean of Admissions, Outreach and Financial Education at the TCU School of Medicine. “You all are bringing the house together and we have students in all four years.”

Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg, TCU Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, was also on hand to welcome the new medical students into the Horned Frog Family with words of encouragement.

“You have worked hard to get here for the privilege to take care of your fellow human beings with compassion, empathy and skill,” Provost Dahlberg said. “You belong here and you are now a part of the TCU Horned Frog community.”

The festive event was capped off with speeches by Jonas Kruse, MS-4 at TCU School of Medicine, and Parminder Deo, MS-1 at TCU School of Medicine.

Deo spoke about the importance of celebrating the achievement of making it to medical school.

“This rite of passage is an important one because it marks the beginning of medical school,” Deo said. “We are now physicians in training taking the first steps on a difficult path but one that we chose to pursue and one that is bursting with potential.”