Campbell medical school welcomes Class of 2030

Medical school Dean Dr. David Tolentino on July 22 welcomed Class of 2030 to Campbell University. Tolentino addressed the new students as part of new student orientation, which ran throughout the week.

Tolentino encouraged the students, and he reassured them. He, as well as Director of Student Affairs Debi Pipes, spoke of the medical school as a supportive and close-knit community.

"You're joining a medical school that has now graduated 10 classes of osteopathic physicians who are making a difference in North Carolina and across the country," Tolentino said. "Today, you become part of that legacy, and you will quickly hear (the med school) referred to as family, because that is exactly what it is."

Classes begin July 27, and the White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2030, a rite of passage for first-year med students, is Oct. 23. The orientation began June 21 as students, for example, picked up their laptops, posed for their official headshots and were fitted for those white coats.

On July 23, Campbell University President Dr. William Downs will welcome rising second-year student doctors to the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM).

"I know there's armies of people behind you, and family and loved ones that have helped you get to this place," Pipes said, "and I'm just excited to see where you go from here. I'm really excited."

The latest class entering the medical school has 162 students, including 12 Campbell graduate and undergraduate students.

The average age of students is 24 in the Class of 2030, which includes 102 women and 60 men. Overall, 86 are from North Carolina. Thirty-one students come from a Health Professional Shortage Area, which is a federal designation identifying geographies, population groups and facilities with a critical shortage of primary, dental or mental healthcare providers.

Faculty and staff members offered primers on myriad aspects of the new students' coming education in osteopathic medicine. They talked about peer learning and advising, global mission trips and community clinics, as well as student government, study skills, financial literacy, behavioral health and the resources available to promote their success and well-being.

Tolentino said the new students may be feeling a mix of excitement, anticipation and, possibly, some anxiety.

"Osteopathic medical school is meant to be challenging, but you are not expected to do it alone. One of the things that makes CUSOM special is that we believe in caring for the whole person, including our students," Tolentino said. "If you need support, I encourage you, please use it. Our behavioral health team is here because your well-being matters."

He also talked about the Academic Center for Excellence, which provides academic counseling to assist students in identifying their learning styles and developing study skills, for example.

"Seeking support early is one of the healthiest habits that you can develop as a future osteopathic physician, and we want you to feel comfortable reaching out without hesitation," said Tolentino, who let students know that his door is always open. … "I really enjoy seeing our students and hearing how things are going."

Tolentino finished his address with words that have come to define his lectures and speeches. Before that, however, he referred to the words of Dr. Jerry M. Wallace, a former university president who founded the medical school that bears his name. Wallace, who did not attend the 2026 orientation events, still visits the med school often.

Wallace once said, as Tolentino read, "'I wish the people who seek ways not to like each other were here today and could see the wonderful faces that I'm watching today. I see children of God. We are children of God, and out of that relationship, out of that spirit, comes the desire to reach out and help."

Tolentino, in his words, went on, "I want you to work hard. I want you to take care of yourselves and lean on one another. Take advantage of the people and the resources that we have assembled to help you succeed."

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