With a solemn pledge to do good for patients, Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s newest class of physician-innovators officially launched careers dedicated to shaping the future of medicine.
Members of CI MED’s Class of 2029 were welcomed into the medical community at the traditional white coat ceremony on Monday, July 7, 2025. The group of 64 future physicians is the eighth cohort to enter training at the world’s first engineering-based college of medicine.
“This is a critical time in health care. A time where medicine needs compassionate physicians who are also skilled problem-solvers, creative thinkers, and innovators,” CI MED Dean Mark Cohen said. “The Class of 2029 is an incredible group of students coming to Carle Illinois from around the country and around the world to become compassionate, caring, and collaborative physician innovators who can leverage technology and apply their unique backgrounds to tackle some of health care’s biggest challenges. The entire CI MED community is united in mentoring and supporting these amazing students throughout their medical school journey.”
Class of 2029 By the Numbers
- 64 new physician-innovators
- 53% women in medicine
- 56% have an engineering background
- 22% have earned advanced degrees (master’s degree or higher), including 3 PhDs
- 19 states represented; 15 students are from Illinois
The new class is spending their first week at CI MED becoming oriented to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, the medical profession, and the college’s robust research and innovation culture. CI MED’s unique curriculum immerses incoming students in the clinical setting earlier than most MD programs, starting in the first weeks of medical school.
You can watch the recording of the Class of 2029 White Coat Ceremony here.