The last week of August marked the start of a new phase in the lives of incoming students from all four UTMB schools—the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Schools of Health Professions, Nursing and Medicine.
UTMB has seen a diverse, ever-growing student population over the last nine years, with the total number of students enrolled increasing by about 42 percent overall since 2006, with more than 3,200 students.
Several events took place for new students and their parents, starting with Welcome Weekend, a fun and informative event hosted by the Office of Student Life at Moody Gardens in Galveston; the annual Proud Parents Welcome Event; and an all-school orientation.
UTMB President Dr. David Callender welcomed the new group of students at orientation on Aug. 24 in Levin Hall and eased any first-day jitters by talking about the sense of family that exists at UTMB.
“So if you feel a little alone today, that’s not going to last long,” said Callender. “People who visit our campus or sites where we deliver health care, teach students and residents and do research, often talk about the fact that shortly after they arrive here, they feel a sense of family—it’s a spirit of collaboration that really sets us apart from so many other places. We are proud of that and you will be a big part of helping us continue that.”