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College of Medicine – Phoenix Reaches Fundraising Goal for the Class of 2025
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix announced the 2025 White Coat Ceremony fundraising goal of $30,000 was met with more than 70 community-based donors contributing to the campaign. Their gifts will support student scholarships and help 125 medical students from the Class of 2025 in the first milestone of their medical careers — the donning of the white coat.
The ceremony is a pivotal moment for medical students. When they slip their arms through the sleeves of their first white coat, it marks an important step in their commitment to serve in the medical field. The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for medical students and signifies their entrance into the medical profession.
The cost of attending medical school has nearly doubled over the last 20 years. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average education debt after medical school is $251,600, which takes approximately 13 years for most physicians to pay back. The latest figures from the Association of American Medical College’s annual survey confirm that most medical students borrow under $300,000 with one in five students’ debt load exceeding this amount.
A gift to the campaign symbolizes the community’s recognition of the importance of improving health care in Arizona, as well as the need to reduce the shortage of physicians in the state. The funds raised support much-needed student scholarships in addition to purchasing the students’ first white coats and stethoscopes.
“Gifts received for this campaign let the Class of 2025 know that they are part of a supportive community who are equally passionate about improving lives and building healthier communities,” concluded Kaplan.
The Class of 2025’s White Coat Ceremony will be held on Friday, July 16, 2021. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Class of 2024’s White Coat Ceremony was postponed last year. It has been rescheduled for July 30, 2021.
For additional opportunities to support future physician leaders at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, please visit our Giving page.
About the College
Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to advance its core missions in education, research, clinical care and service to communities across Arizona. The college’s strength lies in our collaborations and partnerships with clinical affiliates, community organizations and industry sponsors. With our primary affiliate, Banner Health, we are recognized as the premier academic medical center in Phoenix. As an anchor institution of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, the college is home to signature research programs in neurosciences, cardiopulmonary diseases, immunology, informatics and metabolism. These focus areas uniquely position us to drive biomedical research and bolster economic development in the region.
As an urban institution with strong roots in rural and tribal health, the college has graduated more than 1,000 physicians and matriculates 130 students each year. Greater than 60% of matriculating students are from Arizona and many continue training at our GME sponsored residency programs, ultimately pursuing local academic and community-based opportunities. While our traditional four-year program continues to thrive, we will launch our recently approved accelerated three-year medical student curriculum with exclusive focus on primary care. This program is designed to further enhance workforce retention needs across Arizona.
The college has embarked on our strategic plan for 2025 to 2030. Learn more.