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In a speech to the incoming Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2028, Ronald Moomaw, D.O. (’80), NASA retired physician and a member of the college’s first class, reflected on the changes that have occurred in medical education and medicine and encouraged students to be resilient and adaptable in their future medical careers.

Moomaw, this year’s recipient of the Phillips Medal, the college’s most prestigious honor for public service, spoke during the 2024 Convocation and White Coat Ceremony held Aug. 9.

“No matter what happens in your life and in your profession, just don’t lose your cool,” he said. “You’re going to have to be adaptable because a lot of this stuff we can’t predict. We don’t know what’s going to be happening with medicine, but you need that background, and you need the organizations that are behind you, the AOA, your different colleges of specialty, because they will help you adapt.”

Moomaw was one of 24 students in the college’s first class, which graduated in 1980. During his speech, Moomaw explained that he was taught in converted dormitory buildings where classrooms sometimes had no heat and jackhammers pounded in the basement. The Heritage College now has three campuses across the state, and in 2021 a new state-of-the-art medical education building, Heritage Hall, opened in Athens.

Moomaw talked about how the practice of medicine has changed in his 44-year career with so much information now available to students, but that technology and artificial intelligence are primed to make even more substantial changes in the field. He advised students to remain nimble, to take advantage of opportunities that come their way but also create their own opportunities.

“It’s been a long, long journey. Becoming a physician, an osteopathic physician, it has created my opportunity to have a fascinating career and all of you have the same opportunities,” he said.

Moomaw has held many notable roles including chief psychiatrist for the State of Ohio Department of Correction, a major in the U.S. Air Force and an aerospace psychiatrist and certified flight surgeon at NASA caring for astronauts and their families. At the white coat ceremony, he shared several anecdotes about the resilience and adaptability of astronauts to whatever challenges face them and encouraged the college’s medical students to do the same in their careers.

“When things look their worst, you just fall back on what you do and you work by the numbers and you make it work,” he said. “Each of you comes from a unique circumstance. We’ve all struggled. We have faced different situations and have been fortunate to become part of this unique group of medicine.”

Moomaw’s sentiment was echoed by second-year student Amisha Saini, the student government association president on the Athens campus and the college’s national student government representative.

“Today, as you don your white coats for the very first time, you embark on a remarkable journey—one that will test your intellect, nurture your empathy, and transform you into the healers our world so desperately needs. This ceremony is not merely a tradition; it is a pivotal moment that marks your commitment to a lifetime of service and learning,” said Saini. “In these pristine coats, you carry the weight of history and the hopes of countless individuals who will place their trust in your hands. This garment is not just a symbol of your profession but a tangible reminder of the profound responsibility you now shoulder.”

The white coat ceremony is held each year during orientation to introduce the entering class. More than 4,500 prospective students applied to the college this year for 260 spots in the Heritage College’s Class of 2028. Of those admitted, more than 92 percent are from Ohio, 32.5 percent are from groups underrepresented in medicine, and 17.5 percent are first-generation college students.

The Heritage College is the state’s top producer of primary care and rural physicians and the largest medical school in Ohio, with nearly 1,000 students across the college’s three campuses.

The ceremony was livestreamed, allowing family and friends to watch remotely. A recording of the ceremony is available to watch on the Heritage College’s website.