NEOMED welcomes largest medical class in its history
NEOMED welcomed 211 students into its College of Medicine during a White Coat Ceremony on Friday, July 10, 2026. The white coat, which is placed upon each incoming student during the ceremony, represents the transition for each medical student as future health care professionals, and the many responsibilities that come with it.
The 211 first-year students represent the largest class in the history of the College of Medicine. Students were honored in front of a packed crowd of loved ones in the NEW Center Ballroom.
“You will be immersing yourselves into a great deal of knowledge, tradition and history,” said
John T. Langell, M.D., Ph.D., president of NEOMED. “You will soon have the sacred honor of taking care of our families and communities as physicians across this nation.”
“The physician is admitted to the profession as a privilege, not a right,” said Marc Basson, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the College of Medicine. “As members of this profession, I urge you to honor the profound commitment to your patients, their families, and to yourself. Listen well, and understand your patient as a person, not a disease.”
Ronald A. Rhodes, M.D., served as the keynote speaker and was also awarded the College of Medicine’s Dean’s Leadership Award. Dr. Rhodes is a general surgeon and chief academic officer at Mercy Health in Youngstown, and also serves as clinical associate professor of surgery at NEOMED.
“Each of you has your own natural abilities that are going to be molded and nurtured along with new skills and techniques that you will use to deliver those gifts back to the patient,” said Dr. Rhodes.
NEOMED’s College of Medicine has a long history of training physicians from Ohio who go on to practice in their home state. More than 50% of College of Medicine’s 2026 graduating class will stay in Ohio, addressing the growing need for physicians to serve communities across the state. College of Medicine students gain real-world experience through partnerships that include nationally-ranked health care systems throughout Ohio, including urban and rural areas.