A group of 141 students officially began their medical training at the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) during the White Coat Ceremony held on August 8 at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center. This marks the largest incoming class in the school’s history.
The ceremony is a tradition observed at many medical schools across the country, serving as an initiation rite that symbolizes both professionalism and compassionate care within the field of medicine. RSOM has conducted this event since 1998.
This year’s group was selected from a competitive pool, with only seven percent of applicants gaining admission for the 2025-26 academic year. The new class includes graduates from 61 universities nationwide, with Stony Brook University itself being most represented—nineteen members hold undergraduate or master’s degrees from there. The median undergraduate GPA among these students is 3.89 out of 4.00.
“Today we celebrate the members of the Entering Class of 2025 as they begin their journey to becoming doctors, and we are delighted that you have decided to pursue your education at the Renaissance School of Medicine, the top-ranked public medical school by NIH funding in New York State,” said Peter Igarashi, MD, Knapp Dean of RSOM.
Dr. Igarashi also noted that more than one-third—35 percent—of this cohort are first-generation college graduates entering medical school for the first time. “Think about that: more than one-third of this year’s incoming students are first-generation college graduates beginning medical school. What a remarkable achievement,” he said.
Eighty-six percent of these new students come from New York State, including over one-third who are from Long Island; others arrive from eleven additional states or countries. Sixty-six percent are women.
The entering class begins its studies at a time when rapid changes in healthcare—including advances in telemedicine, artificial intelligence applications in clinical practice, and development of treatments for previously difficult-to-treat diseases—are transforming medicine as a profession.