[July 25, 2019] Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) welcomed its twelfth class of medical students to the program. The students were officially matriculated into the school at the annual White Coat Ceremony, held at the University of Colorado South Denver on Friday, July 19th.
The White Coat Ceremony is a traditional way to welcome new students to their medical careers. The keynote speaker was Bruce Dubin, DO, JD, FCLM, FACOI, who served as the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean for the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. During his keynote address, Dr. Dubin, who also served as Dean and Chief Academic Officer at RVUCOM until 2013, emphasized the battle against disease that physicians willingly undertake in service to others, and the legacy that precedes the Class of 2023. Additional speakers included Joseph Nathanson, OMS II, President of RVU’s Student Government Association; Thomas N. Told, DO, FACOFP-dist., Dean of RVUCOM; and Clinton E. Adams, DO, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer for RVU.
Upon being coated (the act of officially receiving their medical school white coats) by physician faculty members, the students recited the vision statement that they, as a class, had written to express their goals and values for the next four years at RVUCOM. In their statement, they pledged to “find strength in the long honing of compassion to act with goodwill; to comfort the distressed and the dying, to be their unwavering capstone.”
The Class of 2023 is comprised of 162 students from a variety of backgrounds and locations. The students were selected from an applicant pool of over 5,100 candidates. The class consists of 49% females and 51% males and the age range is 21 to 37 years old. The average MCAT scores among the class was 506 and the average cumulative GPA was 3.63. In keeping with RVU’s continued support of military students, 7% of the incoming class are attending on the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program.
Fourteen students matriculated after receiving RVU’s Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences degree, a nine-month graduate program to increase a student’s understanding of the health sciences.
In addition to welcoming the Class of 2023, Joseph Stasio, DO, FACOFP, Chair of the Department of Primary Care Medicine, received the Faculty Innovator Award, which is given annually to a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding achievements in academic excellence. Dr. Stasio received the award for being a champion of innovation and embracing new teaching models. As one student stated, “[Dr. Stasio] is always available for questions, and is an advocate for students. [He] displays excellence in the field of medicine, and does it all with a smile and a fun personality.”
