White Coat Ceremony welcomes DGSOM’s Class of 2030 into the medical profession

DGSOM’s class of 2030 waving and smiling candidly in front of UCLA’s Royce Hall.
By UCLA Health Staff
1 min read

First-year medical students at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA celebrated a defining moment as they received their white coats for the first time, marking the beginning of their journey toward becoming physicians. Surrounded by family and friends, members of the incoming class were welcomed into a profession grounded in healing, service and excellence in patient care.

David Geffen School of Medicine Dean Dubinett shaking hands with an incoming med student and welcoming them into the program.
Dr. Dubinett welcomes new DGSOM med students on stage at the annual White Coat Ceremony.

Dean Steven M. Dubinett, MD, along with faculty leaders from across the medical school, welcomed the incoming class and shared reflections on the responsibilities, opportunities and impact of a career in medicine.

Kymora Scotland, MD, PhD, was the ceremony’s keynote speaker and was recognized as the recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, which celebrates faculty members who embody the values of compassion, empathy and respect. In addition, several resident physicians were honored with the Excellence in Teaching with Humanism Residents and Fellow Award, recognizing their exceptional mentorship and fostering the clinical development of current DGSOM medical students.

David Geffen School of Medicine Dean Dubinett shaking hands with an incoming med student and welcoming them into the program.
Kymora Scotland, MD, PhD, with the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.

The annual White Coat Ceremony celebrated the commitment that brought each student to medical school, while recognizing the responsibility and privilege that comes with caring for patients. As students donned their white coats and recited the UCLA Medical Oath, they pledged to deliver evidence-based, compassionate and equitable care, stepping into a future shaped by the patients they will serve, the discoveries they will make and the communities they will impact.