WSU College of Medicine Welcomes MD Class of 2029 in White Coat Ceremony

In a powerful celebration of purpose and promise, the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine welcomed the MD Class of 2029 at its annual White Coat Ceremony last Friday, August 15, at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox in Spokane.

The ceremony is a cherished tradition across the country that marks the beginning of each student’s journey into the medical profession. Under the intricate etched glass and aluminum tracery of the theater’s famous ceiling, 80 future Washington physicians walked across the stage to don their white coats and raised their right hands to recite the student declaration, pledging to uphold the profession’s core values.

“When you accept the white coat placed on your shoulders, you commit to prioritizing compassionate, collaborative, and scientifically excellent care from this day forward,” said WSU College of Medicine Dean Jim Record, MD, JD, FACP, in a speech.

The evening featured a moving keynote address by Radha Nandagopal, MD, FAAP, vice dean for educational and faculty affairs. A founding faculty member of the college, Dr. Nandagopal shared reflections on the personal significance of the white coat, tracing her path from a childhood in a Spokane immigrant household to a career as a pediatric endocrinologist and medical education leader. She encouraged students to view the white coat as a welcome, not a finish line.

“You are not expected to know everything. No one believes doctors do. But you are expected to choose curiosity over certainty, science over dogma, and empathy over ego,” Dr. Nandagopal said. “You have a duty to grow—with compassion for your patients, for your colleagues, for your educators, and most importantly, for yourself.”

WSU Regent Enrique Cerna also addressed the class, offering words of encouragement and pride on behalf of WSU leadership. Drawing on his own upbringing in the Yakima Valley, an area that faces significant doctor shortages, Cerna underscored the urgent need for more physicians in Washington’s rural and medically underserved communities.

“Our state needs you,” he said. “Our communities need you. Our future depends on you.”

With the entry of the Class of 2029, the student body of WSU’s MD program now represents 27 Washington counties, including 15% who grew up in a rural Washington county. With their deep ties to local communities, they represent the next generation of physicians committed to advancing the health and well-being of all who call our state home.

Watch the Ceremony Livestream Recording

 

Hear About the History of the White Coat