Lifelong Medical School Dream
Foster School of Medicine’s 16th Annual White Coat Ceremony is Major Step Toward Class of 2028’s Lifelong Dreams
Texas Tech Health El Paso welcomes largest class of 135 new medical students with traditional white coats
El Paso, Texas — Texas Tech Health El Paso celebrated the newest cohort of medical students at the 16th annual Foster School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at the Starlight Event Center.
One member of the class of 2028, El Pasoan Martin Marrufo, has a history with Texas Tech Health El Paso preceding his acceptance into the Foster School of Medicine.
Marrufo attended Silva Health Magnet High School across the street from the university. As a high schooler, he volunteered at Texas Tech Health El Paso events, including Medventure for Your Future, an annual hands-on camp that introduces hundreds of middle school students to careers in the health sciences.
"From a young age, I was captivated by the human body and inspired by relatives in health care,” Marrufo said. “Attending the Foster School of Medicine is a dream come true, and I’m proud to continue the legacy of this noble institution."
The white coat ceremony paid tribute to one of the largest entering classes in the school’s history. Each of the 135 first-year medical students received a white coat bearing the school's seal. The coats represent a symbol of compassion, serving as a reminder of the role humanism plays in health care throughout their medical careers. Their stethoscopes, which they received earlier, represent the scientific underpinning of their discipline.
Saturday’s ceremony left an indelible mark on Marrufo.
"Donning my white coat marks the beginning of my journey as a physician, fulfilling a lifelong dream,” he said.
Attending medical school in his hometown is also an advantage, Marrufo said.
“El Paso is where my heart is, and where health care professionals like me are needed most,” he said. "El Paso is a unique and beautiful place, and staying here allows me to deepen my understanding of our community’s health care needs. My roots are here, and it's important to me to contribute to the health of our Borderplex."
According to recent statistics, the United States is grappling with a shortage of Hispanic physicians. Despite Hispanics representing approximately 19.5% of the population in 2023, they constitute less than 6% of all physicians in the U.S. This shortage is even more acute in El Paso, which is 83% Hispanic.
About 20% of the incoming class hail from our Borderplex region. With the Foster School of Medicine’s guidance, they’ll become physicians who understand the health disparities within our historically underserved communities.
Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., Texas Tech Health El Paso President, and Dean of the Foster School of Medicine, had inspiring words for the new class as the ceremony's keynote speaker.
"We not only welcome a new cohort of future physicians but also celebrate the deep ties that bind our institution to the El Paso community,” Dr. Lange said. “Many of our students have grown up here, volunteering at our events and engaging with our programs long before they donned their white coats. Their journeys exemplify the heart of our mission — empowering local talent to serve and uplift our region. This commitment to El Paso reflects the very essence of what it means to be a physician trained at Texas Tech Health El Paso, where compassion meets science, and where our students are inspired to make a difference in the communities they call home."
The traditional ceremony is a community celebration of the class of 2028’s commitment to their medical education. Broad community support for the event emphasizes a shared understanding of the significance of nurturing local talent by investing in their futures.
Generosity of White Coat Sponsors
Over the past six years, Dionicio “Manny” Alvarez, M.D., and his wife, Alice Alvarez, have inspired others to give by doubling the support for white coat sponsorships through their matching funds. Their generosity extends beyond this act, through the establishment of the Dionicio and Alice Alvarez Medical Scholarship Endowment in 2020.
Joining them as sponsors were many generous individuals and groups, several without direct ties to the university, who demonstrate their belief and trust in our future health care leaders. Thanks to their support, this was the first year where every white coat given to our students was sponsored by our gracious donors.
The Foster School of Medicine’s first white coat ceremony took place on Aug. 1, 2009, shortly after the school admitted its inaugural class. Four years later, on May 18, 2013, the school became part of the newly established Texas Tech Health El Paso.
You can be a part of a student’s introduction to the health care field here at Texas Tech Health El Paso. Sponsor a future health care hero's first white coat today. Learn more HERE.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org