East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine welcomed the largest entering class in its history on Friday, July 31, as 100 future physicians marked the beginning of their medical school journey at the college’s annual White Coat Ceremony.

The historic class comes after the college expanded from 78 students to 100, strengthening Quillen’s longstanding mission of preparing physicians to serve Tennessee, Appalachia and beyond.

Selected from nearly 3,000 applicants, the Class of 2030 represents 46 undergraduate institutions – including ETSU, which has 19 students matriculating to Quillen. Of the 100 students, 79 are from Tennessee. The class also includes nine military-affiliated students, six legacy students and a record 35 students admitted through the nationwide Early Decision Program.

“This class represents an exciting new chapter for Quillen and for the communities our graduates will one day serve,” said Dr. Bill Block, dean of the Quillen College of Medicine and ETSU's vice president for Clinical Affairs. “As these students put on their white coats, they begin a journey that will shape the future of healthcare across our region and beyond.”

This year's entering class also includes the first students from the Quillen Honors Scholars program, an initiative established in 2022 that guarantees admission to the Quillen College of Medicine for five selected ETSU students upon graduation. The program provides scholarships along with national and international learning experiences that expose students to medicine in diverse settings while connecting them with Quillen alumni.

Among the first cohort of Quillen Honors Scholars is Justyn Forbes, who received his white coat on Friday.

“I can’t imagine my life if I hadn’t applied,” Forbes said of the program.

Forbes decided to pursue medicine in his senior year of high school and heard about the Quillen Honors Scholars from his guidance counselor. After talking it over with a librarian who encouraged him to apply, Forbes did – and now he’s officially part of the college’s largest-ever incoming class.

“As the first person in my family to have the opportunity to go to medical school, it means the world to me to be able to one day give back to a community that has given me so much,” said Forbes.

The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for beginning medical students, symbolizing their commitment to professionalism, compassion and excellence in patient care. Since 1997, Quillen has held the ceremony as the culmination of new student orientation.

As Tennessee's leading academic health sciences center and the flagship institution of Appalachia, ETSU is preparing the next generation of physicians and other health professionals through nationally recognized education, research and patient care. The expansion of Quillen's entering class reflects the university's continued commitment to strengthening the physician workforce and improving access to high-quality healthcare across the region and beyond.

To learn more about the Quillen College of Medicine, visit etsu.edu/com. A recording of the ceremony will be available at etsu.edu/com/livestream.

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