Alice L. Walton School of Medicine Hosts White Coat Ceremony for Class of 2030

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) has welcomed the Class of 2030, as these new 48 students began their medical education journey. Their first week of classes culminated in a White Coat Ceremony on July 17, 2026, a significant milestone that marks the beginning of their path toward becoming physicians.

“Welcoming a second class is meaningful to AWSOM,” said Sharmila Makhija, MD, MBA, Founding Dean and CEO. “Our faculty, staff, and partners have worked diligently to bring our founder Alice Walton’s vision to life to change medical education. These students will impact Arkansas and beyond, and we are excited to welcome these future physicians to AWSOM.”

Twenty-five percent of AWSOM’s Class of 2030 are from rural communities, and 65 percent come from the Heartland region including Arkansas and its surrounding states. The School received nearly 5,000 applications for its second cohort.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Class of 2030. These 48 medical students will help us make history as part of our innovative program and curriculum,” said Beth Nelson, MD, Senior Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education and Interim Executive Vice Dean. “At AWSOM, our goal is to educate physicians who will care for the whole person, and we are proud to see them take this important step in their journey.”

Students began classes and orientation week on Monday, July 13. As part of orientation, students participated in community engagement activities across Northwest Arkansas, success sessions led by faculty and staff, team-building activities with fellow students, and panel discussions featuring second-year AWSOM students.

AWSOM’s 154,000 square-foot state-of-the-art medical education facility is situated on the Crystal Bridges Campus, home of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Heartland Whole Health Institute. Arkansas-based Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects designed the building, with rooftop park and landscape design by NYC-based design studio Office of Strategy + Design. It features four stories and contains learning halls, an art gallery, a library, clinical teaching spaces, administrative offices, a student lounge, covered bicycle parking, and recreation and wellness areas. Public spaces within the School opened on November 3, 2025.

About the White Coat Ceremony

Created by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 1993, white coat ceremonies mark the beginning of medical school for first-year students and are celebrated at institutions nationwide, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

About Alice L. Walton School of Medicine

Founded in 2021, Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is a nonprofit, four-year MD program enhancing traditional medical education with the arts, humanities, and Whole Health principles. The School’s culture embraces self-care to empower students to care for their own well-being as well as their patients’. The School’s state-of-the-art medical education facility is on the Crystal Bridges Campus, home to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Heartland Whole Health Institute. The School has been granted preliminary accreditation status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.