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Anatomy, doctoring skills and genetics classes await 162 new medical students at UMass Medical School. The School of Medicine welcomed the Class of 2023 on Monday, Aug. 5. The diverse class comprises 94 women and 68 men, including 115 from Massachusetts and 47 from out of state. Twenty-four are from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and 14 from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine.
“Think of how wonderful it’s going to be to practice medicine and actually make a difference in the lives of patients both here and across the globe because today you are accepting that challenge,” Chancellor Michael F. Collins told the class in his welcoming remarks. “Ours is a global institution. Your practice will be global. The science you conduct will have impacts across the globe. And you’ll make enormous differences in our career of medicine.”
New Jersey native and UCLA graduate Calvin Schaffer is one of the out-of-state residents who chose UMMS. “I really loved my interview day because of the people first and foremost,” he recalled. “They gave off a really good vibe that I definitely wanted to be a part of.”
Amherst native and UMass Amherst 2017 graduate Caroline Norton worked as a research assistant at the University of Pittsburgh before returning home. “I knew the state school would be more down to earth than a private school,” said Norton. She has applied to the medical school’s clinical and translational research pathway and is interested in research into the effect of reproductive hormones on mental health.
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Worcester resident and Shrewsbury High School alumna Azraa Amroze is delighted to be staying even closer to home. After graduating from Worcester State University in 2016, she worked as a researcher at the Meyers Primary Care Institute, a partnership between UMass Medical School and local health care organizations Fallon Health and Reliant Medical Group. The experience further shaped her goals and her desire to be part of the UMMS community. “I’d like to continue doing research in a primary care clinical role, perhaps as an OB/GYN,” Amroze said.
The new class has an average total GPA of 3.77 and average MCAT scores in the 88th percentile. Enumerating the top reasons to be optimistic about the future of medicine, School of Medicine Dean Terence R. Flotte said, “The number one reason we are optimistic about the future of medicine is you. We are thrilled that you are here.”
