College of Dental Medicine Welcomes Class of 2026 at White Coat Ceremony

The College of Dental Medicine (CDM) welcomed 84 members of the Class of 2026 into the Columbia family and the dental profession at a White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 8.

The ceremony included recitation of the “Oath for the Profession,” with the students pledging to practice their profession with “conscience and dignity and in accordance with the recognized standards of care.”

The class was selected from over 1,600 applicants and consists of 39 women and 45 men from 18 states and three foreign countries. It is the most diverse class that CDM has ever enrolled, with 28.6% of students from groups underrepresented in dentistry.

The ceremony kicked off a week of orientation activities, including a Broadway show and festive dinner in Little Italy, organized by Class of 2025 volunteers.