Sam Houston State University says 162 new student doctors joined the college on Saturday, Aug. 15, with most coming from Texas and more than one in five from rural communities.
Class of 2030 Steps into Medical Education at SHSU-COM's White Coat Ceremony
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS – Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM) marked the beginning of the medical school journey for over 160 new student doctors on Saturday, Aug. 15, during the Class of 2030 White Coat Ceremony at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
The ceremony formally welcomed students into their medical education and emphasized the professional responsibilities they will carry throughout their training and future practice. Each student doctor received their white coat from either an SHSU-COM faculty member or a physician family member before joining osteopathic physicians in attendance to recite the Osteopathic Oath. The coats were provided by the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association (TOMA) Foundation, which provides white coats to first-year osteopathic medical students across Texas.
Bruce Wolf, DO, president-elect of the American Osteopathic Association, served as keynote speaker for the ceremony. Robert “Bob” Suter, DO, president of TOMA, joined Wolf and Thomas J. Mohr, DO, dean of SHSU-COM and vice president of medical affairs, in addressing the class.
“Each patient you encounter will have their own story, and it will be your responsibility to listen and respond with care,” Wolf said. “Osteopathic medicine is as much about understanding people as it is about diagnosing disease.”
The incoming class continues to reflect the college’s mission to prepare physicians who will serve Texas communities. The Class of 2030 was selected from more than 4,500 applicants through the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service. Of the 162 new student doctors, 95% are Texas residents, and more than one in five come from rural communities.
“This is the legacy you are stepping into,” Thomas J. Mohr, DO, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and vice president of medical affairs, said. “You are now part of a community that is committed to excellence, grounded in service and focused on preparing future physicians who lead with skill, integrity and compassion.”
SHSU-COM welcomed its first class in 2020 and graduated its third class of physicians in May 2026. Now, graduates are returning to the White Coat Ceremony for family members who have chosen to begin their own medical education at SHSU-COM.
Vanessa Molina, DO, a member of the Class of 2026, coated her cousin, student doctor Zaman Jasani and Sadaf Naimzada, DO, a member of the Class of 2025, coated her brother, student doctor Imron Naimzada.
“It was amazing,” Jasani said. “I remember coming to her white coat ceremony, and I didn’t think I was going to pursue medicine at the time, but I was just really happy for her. It’s nice that she got to pass the baton.”
For Molina, welcoming her cousin to the medical school she had graduated from just a few months ago made the moment especially impactful.
“I always had a feeling that he’d come here, so for that to have been manifested, and for me to get to come back into the stadium where I just recently graduated from, is incredibly meaningful,” Molina said.
Sumanth Yenduri, PhD, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at SHSU, reminded the student doctors that their education would ultimately extend far beyond the classroom.
“There are Texans out there waiting for your help,” Yenduri said. “In rural communities, in underserved populations, in every corner of this state, there is a need for the world-class medical care that you will provide.”
Yenduri also emphasized the commitment represented by the white coat.
“When you put on your white coat today, you are making a commitment,” Yenduri said. “A commitment to serve others, to keep learning and to care for people with empathy and excellence.”
The Class of 2030 joins a college that has earned full Accreditation with Exceptional Outcomes from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation and has ranked among the nation’s top-performing colleges of osteopathic medicine on national board exams for two consecutive years.
As the ceremony concluded, Mohr officially presented the newest class to their families, friends, faculty and supporters.
“Class of 2030, we are delighted to welcome you as the newest members of the SHSU-COM family and the community of osteopathic medicine,” Mohr said.