Schulich Medicine Increases Enrolment

The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario announces its largest class to date of first year medical students. The Class of Meds 2011 has 147 students, eight more than last year's class. They'll be officially welcomed at the White Coat Ceremony, Wednesday, August 29^th from 10 a.m. till noon, in room 145 of the Natural Sciences Building (www.uwo.ca/campusmaps).

The 72 women and 75 men will be presented with their inaugural white laboratory coat. In donning it, they symbolically agree to the professional, social and ethical responsibilities of becoming a physician. They'll also be asked to recite the Hippocratic Oath.

"We have seen tremendous growth in our program at Schulich Medicine in response to the serious shortage of doctors. In 1999, we had 96 students enter our MD program, compared with 147 this year," says Dean Carol Herbert. "Next year, we'll mark another milestone, with the opening of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry -Windsor Program. This expansion is a key example of our continuing partnership with communities throughout Southwestern Ontario to address the physician shortage."

Meds 2011 includes 48 students from Southwestern Ontario . The School has launched several initiatives through SWOMEN (Southwestern Ontario Medical Education Network) to attract students from this area, as they're more likely to stay and practice in the region after completing their training.

Dental students at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry will celebrate their White Coat Ceremony on Friday, August 31 at 10:30 a.m. at Talbot College .