Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine welcomes its 10th class
The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine welcomed its 10th class today. The class of 2023 has 43 members who will undergo a four-year curriculum to earn medical doctorate (M.D.) degrees.
“One of the things that attracted me to the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is its high-caliber students,” said Lee Learman, who began as dean of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine on July 1. “The newest class builds on this tradition with extensive clinical exposure and research experience, both key areas of focus in our curriculum with early patient interaction and training of scientist physicians. The class also brings diverse backgrounds and life experiences which will enhance their team-focused learning.”
More than 4,400 people applied to be part of the class of 2023 with 319 being invited to interview for a position. The final 43 members of the class come from 17 states, including nine from Virginia and four each from Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Washington. About 60 percent of this class are women.
The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine continues to make strides towards diversity and admitting students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine. Four students (9 percent) in the class of 2023 come from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups, and another 9 percent are the first in their families to attend college.
The average age of the class is 25, with most taking time after college to pursue graduate studies, work, do research, and/or gain clinical shadowing experience. Twelve have master’s degrees. The average member of the class of 2023 has completed more than 2,300 hours of research and accumulated more than 4,200 hours of clinical experience.
The class represents 31 undergraduate institutions including Virginia Tech (two students) and University of Virginia (two students) as well as James Madison University and Virginia Commonwealth University (one student each). The University of California Berkeley has the most representatives (three students). The class of 2023 adds eight new colleges and universities to the list of 116 undergraduate institutions represented in the previous nine classes: Bates College, Colorado State University, East Carolina University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Northern Kentucky University, Rutgers University New Brunswick Campus, University of New Hampshire-Durham, and Wesleyan University.
This week, the class of 2023 will undergo orientation, learning more about the college, Virginia Tech, Carilion Clinic, and the surrounding community. They will also begin some of their studies, working in teams on their first problem-based learning patient case. Next week, they begin their normal class schedule.
The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine welcomed its first class in August 2010. Since then, six classes have graduated, each with a 100 percent match rate to residency.
