New Students Welcomed to Glendale Campus

MWU's matriculating classes of 2008 were welcomed to campus today for the first day of orientation. The 535 new students starting in the fall quarter joined 240 students who began classes in the summer session for a total of 775 new students. This is by far the largest entering class in the 12-year history of MWU.

The breakdown is as follows:
250 Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
130 College of Pharmacy-Glendale
111 College of Dental Medicine (inaugural class)
90 Physician Assistant Program
76 Biomedical Sciences Program
35 Arizona Podiatric Medicine Program
33 Occupational Therapy Program
20 Cardiovascular Perfusion Program
20 Nurse Anesthesia Program
10 Clinical Psychology Program

As promised, the new three-story Glendale Hall was completed in plenty of time to welcome the new students. The largest academic building on the campus, this new facility houses the administrative and faculty offices for AZCOM, CDM, several CHS programs, and a group of faculty from CPG. The state-of-the-art dental simulation laboratory as well as a testing center are special features of the building. The 2,500+-seat Auditorium will be completed in the next few months in time for the White Coat ceremony for this large first-year class. Work continues on the Recreation & Wellness Hall and an Interfaith Chapel.

Truly, the excitement of the students was apparent at the morning session of orientation, where Dr. Goeppinger welcomed the students and introduced the administrative team. The students laughed at all the jokes and enthusiastically participated in the "where are you from" exercise. As an orientation tradition, Dr. G asks students to stand up when their region of the country is called out, so we all have a good sense of the diversity of the incoming class. Her best line: "We have found over the years that our students are so heavily into taking science and health course, that they don't have time to take geography." This year's students did a bit better than most, noting that New Jersey is in the "Mid-Atlantic states" and "Texas" isn't part of the Midwest. Dr. G encouraged the students to enjoy the journey of their education over the next several years, to stop and take in all of the experiences and transitions that will be part of their path to becoming a health care professional.

Orientation continues this week with an overview of specific courses and the curriculum, as well as introductions to the campus as a whole and several key departments. Several social events are planned as well. The dental students will listen to several noted national experts discuss the topic of ethics. The medical students are taking a trip to the Phoenix Art Museum for a program called "Learning to Observe."

Congratulations to the 775 newest MWU students in Glendale. You have been selected from among many because of your academic promise, your commitment to your profession, and your strong personal skills and talents. We are happy to welcome you to our campus and our community, and we know you will make us proud!