Alice L. Walton School of Medicine Hosts White Coat Ceremony for Inaugural Class of 2029
July 18, 2025
Bentonville, Ark. (July 18, 2025) — This week, the inaugural class of 48 students at Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) embarked on their educational journey at the new medical school in Bentonville. AWSOM is focused on reshaping medical education with a four-year MD program enhanced with a whole-person approach. The students’ first week of class culminated in a White Coat Ceremony, a significant first milestone in their medical education.
“The White Coat Ceremony is a meaningful experience for every medical student, symbolizing the beginning of their journey into medicine,” said Sharmila Makhija, MD, MBA, Founding Dean and CEO. “This particular ceremony signifies the trust and responsibility that future physicians carry in treating patients. This moment is especially meaningful as it marks AWSOM’s first class of students to join us in shaping the future of health care. Our curriculum brings together science, self-care, the humanities, and the arts to train physicians who are not only clinically excellent but also attuned to the full spectrum of human well-being, bringing empathy back into medicine.”
Philanthropist Alice Walton founded the School of Medicine in 2021 to improve health and well-being by creating a new pipeline of physicians. Based on her own health care experiences, she recognized the need for a whole-person approach and improved access to care in rural areas of the country.
“AWSOM will help medical students rise to the health challenges of the 21st century through a reimagination of American medical education that incorporates physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being,” said Walton. “I believe it’s so important that we encourage the pursuit of medical education for promising students that we are waiving tuition for the first five cohorts. Our goal is to ensure that students have a transformative educational experience.”
Approximately one-third of AWSOM’s inaugural class is from Arkansas and 21 percent from bordering states. The School received more than 2,000 applications for its first 48 spots.
“We are incredibly proud of the 48 students in our inaugural class, who share the same vision as our founder,” said Yolangel Hernandez Suarez, MD, MBA, FACOG, Executive Vice Dean. “These students have already made significant contributions to their communities and are ready to take the next step. They will be the doctors who care for us, our families, and our neighbors. They will deliver compassionate, expert care in a rapidly evolving health care landscape.”
Students began classes and orientation week on Monday, July 14. In addition to starting classes, students participated in community engagement activities across Northwest Arkansas, success sessions led by faculty and staff, and team-building activities with fellow 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 will open 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.