78 students welcomed into Quillen College of Medicine at White Coat Ceremony

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Seventy-eight students received white coats on Friday as East Tennessee State University (ETSU) welcomed its newest members into the Quillen College of Medicine 2028 Class.

The White Coat Ceremony is a significant event for new medical students. It marks the beginning of their journey into the practice of medicine and represents the value of combining medical expertise with compassionate patient care.

The 78 students were handpicked from a pool of 3,017 applicants and included students from 35 different undergraduate institutions. Of the 78 students, 74 were from Tennessee or nearby areas.

Annelise Babcock, from Asheville, North Carolina, said she was ecstatic to be accepted into the 2028 class after a lengthy process of applications, interviews and tests.

“I was thrilled,” Babcock said. “I got a call asking if I wanted to come over the mountain, over to Johnson City for school and I was so excited.”

Jake Barens, one of the few out-of-state students, said he is thankful to be at ETSU from Minnesota.

“Today’s kind of a representation of the work that it took in order to get here,” Barens said. “And I’m extremely grateful and honored to be here.”

Barens said that he anticipates the Class of 2028 will form a bond and “get to know each other really well and support each other through the process.”

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