William Carey University Plans White Coat Ceremony for New College of Osteopathic Medicine

Hattiesburg, MS, July 28, 2010 -The inaugural class of the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCU-COM), consisting of one hundred eight students, will begin orientation in Hattiesburg August 16. A White Coat Ceremony to celebrate their entrance into medical school, will be held Saturday, August 21.

A host of family, friends, and dignitaries will witness the historic ceremony as faculty of the WCU-COM and member of the Osteopathic Medical profession from throughout the mid-south welcome the students into the osteopathic profession. Each student will be ceremonially “cloaked” with their white coat and will take the osteopathic oath of commitment.

“This White Coat Ceremony is the culmination of nearly four years of intense work on the part of William Carey’s Board of Trustees, administration, supporters and faculty of the COM,” stated Carey president, Dr. Tommy King. “It is a great day for Carey, Hattiesburg and the State of Mississippi.”

 “The students selected are excellent,” said Dr. Michael Murphy, Vice President and Dean of the WCU-COM. According to Murphy, the inaugural class is composed of 108 students selected from a pool of more than 1,100 applications, and is composed of 46% female and 54% male students. Ninety-five percent of the class is from the south and 48 of them are from Mississippi. The average age of the class is 25.6 years. Ten are graduates of WCU’s new Master of Biomedical Sciences degree program. Ten percent of the class are African-Americans; 15% are Asian.

First year classes will include gross anatomy with full dissection and neuro-anatomy, microanatomy, medical physiology, medical biochemistry/nutrition, genetics, immunology, physical diagnosis, osteopathic principles and practice, oral health, epidemiology, disaster medicine and introduction to clinical community and behavioral medicine.

“The academic and clinical buildings will be new, state of the art and ready for the first class in August 2010,” said Murphy. “The twenty seven full and part-time faculty who were selected to teach our students are top notch, with an average of over 20 years of teaching experience. They understand the mission and vision of WCU-COM and are eager to solidify the curriculum and start the process of teaching students to be exceptional osteopathic physicians.”

William Carey University’s $11 million College of Osteopathic Medicine will consist of three new connected buildings. The Academic building is now open and the Medical Arts building will be opening in August. The Asbury Administration Center is scheduled for completion in December.  The WCU-COM is one of 26 such institutions in the United States.

According to Dr. Scott Hummel, vice-president for advancement at WCU, the COM has received a deferred gift that will eventually endow a teaching chair and a scholarship, The Joel McKenzie Endowed Scholarship and the Lois S. McKenzie Endowed Professorship will be funded by a gift to Carey by Joel McKenzie and his mother Lois McKenzie of Foxworth.

The 2010 White Coat Ceremony is Saturday, August 21 at 5 p.m. in Smith Auditorium. A reception and open house of the medical facilities will follow. A Dedication Ceremony and Open House of the Academic Building, phase I of the medical complex, will be held Friday, July 30 at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to these events.