51ĀŅĀ×

The , which received a record number of applications this year, welcomed the Class of 2025 during the 46th Convocation and White Coat Ceremony on Sept. 19. The ceremony was livestreamed across the collegeā€™s three campuses, allowing family and friends to watch it remotely.

The college received 5,741 applications for 256 spots. During the ceremony, the collegeā€™s incoming medical students were presented with a short white coat symbolic of their status as physicians in training. Data on the Class of 2025 shows that 17 percent are first-generation college students, 26 percent are members of minority groups and 93 percent are from Ohio. Their average GPA is also higher than any previous incoming class.

Athens City-County Health Commissioner James Gaskell, M.D., delivered the ceremonyā€™s keynote address. He also received the collegeā€™s Phillips Medal of Public Service, the highest honor bestowed by the college. As a physician, educator, community leader and health advocate, Dr. Gaskell has been devoted to supporting the health and well-being of southeast Ohioans.

Image

ā€œHis steadfast leadership has been instrumental in the countyā€™s robust ongoing pandemic response,ā€ said Heritage College Executive Dean and OHIO Chief Medical Affairs Officer Ken Johnson, D.O.

The Athens City-County Health Department worked with the Heritage College and OhioHealth to administer more than 19,000 vaccinations at Heritage Hall, the new home of the college in Athens.