By Saira Cabrera

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – JULY 26, 2025 – With 58% of its incoming Class of 2029 from the Rio Grande Valley, the UTRGV School of Medicine marked a significant milestone Saturday morning with its White Coat ceremony, a nationwide rite of passage.

In front of family and friends at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg, 55 new students received their emblematic white coats, symbolizing the start of their journey into medicine.

"This class is the representation of why the UTRGV School of Medicine opened its doors to the Valley," said Dr. Everardo Cobos, interim dean. "The School of Medicine was created exactly for what we are celebrating today: the opportunity to don the white coat here at home."

A LIFELONG COMMITMENT

Keynote speaker Dr. Ramiro Caballero, Pharr City commissioner and neonatologist with Pediatrix Medical Group, said the white coat symbolizes the first step in the long journey to becoming a physician. He reminded the new medical students to respect the responsibility that comes with wearing the white coat.

"Remember and respect that responsibility that patients, their families and society place in you as a physician wearing that white coat," Caballero said. "Receiving this today marks the beginning of a lifelong commitment where you will continually learn, develop and improve."

This year's UTRGV School of Medicine Class of 2029 welcomed 55 new medical students who proudly donned their white coats, marking the first step toward becoming doctors. 58% are Valley natives, with nine members of the UTRGV Vaquero MD program pipeline and five Luminary Scholars among the medical students who received their white coats during Saturday's annual White Coat Ceremony. (UTRGV Photo: Heriberto Perez-Zuniga)

Among the new medical students is Valley native Victoria Velazquez, a UTRGV Luminary Scholar from Lasara, Texas, a small, rural community in Willacy County. She believes this first step represents a lifelong commitment to her community.

"This white coat means hope for the people in my community and for those who've struggled with healthcare access," she said. "It is a promise to become the best provider I can be by bringing knowledge, compassion and care to those who need it most. It's a promise to give back to the Valley that gave me so much."

For many students, participating in the White Coat Ceremony is the realization of a dream and an opportunity to serve. Aribah Tahir, a member of the Class of 2029 and a native of Wichita Falls, Texas, said the white coat is a physical reminder for him to remain resilient. 

"I'm excited to have finally taken this first step today," Tahir said. "My white coat will serve as a symbol of the bigger picture, reminding me what I'm working toward and the future patients I'm serving.”

A PROMISE 

Cobos said that the new class exemplifies the school's mission to train future physicians who reflect and serve the region.

"Our students come from diverse backgrounds but share a common purpose: serving the people of the Rio Grande Valley," he said. "This class is a reflection of the Valley's potential to grow its healthcare workforce and address the medical needs of our communities and beyond."

He urged the new students to remember the significance of the ceremony and their commitment to the community they will serve.

"The white coat you receive today is more than a symbol – it is a promise. A commitment to serve humanity with empathy, humility and integrity," he said. "Always remember this signifies your entrance into the sacred calling of medicine – a profession built on trust, compassion and the unwavering desire to heal. In four years, I want to be the first one to shake your hand and say, 'Congratulations.'"

A LASTING POSITIVE IMPACT

This marks the tenth cohort of the UTRGV School of Medicine, consisting of 55 students selected from a competitive pool of 6,862 applicants. The newly coated medical students walked across the stage to don their white coats and recited the Hippocratic Oath, officially marking the start of their careers and a lifetime dedication to medicine.

Muhammad Noorani, an Edinburg native and a Luminary Scholar and a member of the UTRGV Vaqueros MD pipeline program, radiated with enthusiasm as he showed off his white coat. 

"I feel pride, excitement and joy, but also the enormous weight and responsibility that comes with being here and being a medical doctor,” he said. “The Valley is my home, and I will strive to create a lasting positive impact on it." 

The tenth cohort of newly welcomed UTRGV School of Medicine medical students pledged to uphold the ethical standards of medical practice while delivering the Hippocratic Oath during the annual UTRGV School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony. (UTRGV Photo: Heriberto Perez-Zuniga)