Courtesy Noorda-COM

According to the rules of fashion, it’s acceptable to wear white in the summer. On Saturday, more than 190 students at Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine in Provo were given white coats — another tradition — as the “largest medical student class in Utah history.” The event was held at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University.

Monday is the first day of classes for the Noorda-COM students, 67 of whom having ties to Utah. The white coat ceremony, which is practiced at all medical schools, awards coats to the newest cohort of student doctors. This will be Noorda-COM’s third class since opening its doors in 2021.

“As an institution, we are proud to have the largest medical student class in the Intermountain West,” said Dr. Norman Wright, president and CEO of Noorda-COM. “The caliber of student doctors we’ve seen come through our doors is outstanding, including a significant number with ties to Utah. We have the privilege of working with some of the best people we’ve ever known who will eventually become physicians in a variety of specialties serving the people of Utah, and throughout the world.”

This year’s class size isn’t the only exciting part of the year for Noorda-COM. The white coat ceremony is preceding the opening of their new academic building later in the fall. The four-story, 140,000-square-foot academic building is designed to offer students access to cutting-edge technology and education. The new academic building is located next to Interstate-15 on the city’s southern edge across the street from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

“This will be among the most technologically advanced medical school facilities in the country,” said Dr. John Dougherty, Noorda-COM founding dean and chief academic officer. “Our newest class of students along with our two earlier classes, will have the opportunity to learn medicine utilizing the newest and latest technology and techniques available today such as our custom-designed anatomy lab for example. Additionally, we have gone to great lengths to establish relationships with Utah’s hospitals and healthcare clinics to help provide medical students with clinical rotations and residencies–all to give Utah medical students the opportunity to stay, live and practice throughout the state.”

Courtesy Noorda-COM

With the third class of students now in attendance, Noorda-COM currently boasts more than 400 total students. According to the university, this class of students come from all walks of life and were selected from a wide pool.

• There were more than 1,819 applications for the available seats in 2023.
• The average student’s MCAT score was 503, out of a possible 528, and has an overall GPA of 3.42.
• The gender split is 42% female and 58% male.
• 18% come from under-represented minority groups and 35 students are first-generation college students.
• 67 of the 190 students have ties to Utah and 56 graduated from Utah higher education institutions.
• 34 students have master’s degrees, and 19 are former student athletes.
• The students speak 52 different languages.

The featured keynote speaker at the white coat ceremony was Dr. Karen J. Nichols.

Nichols most recently served as the Dean of the Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and also served as President of the American Osteopathic Association, the AOMA and American College of Osteopathic Internists being the first woman to hold all those positions.

“My three pieces of advice for you,” Nichols said. “To become an excellent physician, you have to have wisdom, knowledge and caring. Wisdom is going to come with time. You will build your storehouse of knowledge over your time at Noorda-COM. But I submit on that point of caring, you have that now. I recommend that you aspire to wisdom. Build your knowledge at Noorda-COM. And Never, never, never stray away from your caring that you feel right now.”