Hundreds of supporters gathered at the Louisville Palace on Saturday, September 9, 2023, to honor the University of Louisville’s newest dental and dental hygiene students. The 2023 White Coat Ceremony recognized members of the DMD class of 2027, Dental Hygiene class of 2025, and Advanced Standing class of 2025. 

Because admission to these programs is highly selective, officially donning a University of Louisville School of Dentistry lab coat and taking Dental Professional’s Pledge as a group brought a wave of emotions to students participating in the event. 

Mohamed Hamlouchi, a Louisville native who gained admission to the DMD class of 2027 after completing his undergraduate degree at UofL, described the moment as surreal. “It’s something I’ve looked forward to for so long,” he said. “Now that it’s actually happening, it just doesn’t feel real.”

More than two dozen friends and family members attended the ceremony to support Hamlouchi. “They have mixed emotions,” he said. “Some are happy, some may be a bit jealous, but mostly they are excited for me because they have seen what I went through to get here.”

Rochelle and Steve Smith from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, attended the event to honor their daughter Molly Smith, a member of the DMD Class of 2027. While acknowledging that their ongoing support played a role in helping Molly achieve her dream, Steve Smith said his daughter earned her spot in the class. “You wouldn’t make it here if you weren’t the type of person who can step up and do things yourself,” he said.  

Mohamed Hamlouchi and Molly Smith from the DMD class of 2027 receive a handshake from interim dean Margaret Hill, DMD, during the 2023 School of Dentistry White Coat Ceremony.

“As an immigrant who went through refugee camps coming from Russia, this is the American dream. This is something that every immigrant child wants to do for their parent because they gave so much to get to the United States.”  - Dilaram Temirova, dental hygiene class of 2025

Madison Igleheart, a member of the dental hygiene class of 2025, said joining the program is the culmination of years of preparation. “I’ve always had a fascination with medicine and dentistry,” said the native of McLean County, Kentucky. “I shadowed in a couple of dental offices and actually enjoyed being there all day long, so I knew this is what I wanted to do.”  

Dilaram Temirova, who is also in the dental hygiene class of 2025, chose to apply to the program after working as a dental assistant. “In that role, I couldn’t help my patients to the extent that I wanted to. I couldn’t do the education part, which is so important. I knew I needed to get more education and more experience to help my patients and the community.”

Temirova said her official entry into the dental hygiene program was an emotional moment not just for herself, but also for her family. “As an immigrant who went through refugee camps coming from Russia, this is the American dream. This is something that every immigrant child wants to do for their parent because they gave so much to get to the United States.” 

About the DMD class of 2027

Admission to the University of Louisville DMD program is highly competitive, with only 120 seats available for each class and more than 10 times that number of applicants. Academic averages for the class of 2027 are 3.55 overall GPA and 3.40 biology-chemistry-physics GPA. The average Dental Admissions Test score is 20. Class members were drawn from 79 different colleges and universities. They come from 25 states and 12 countries of birth (including 13 students holding dual citizenship in the United States and another country).

About the Advanced Standing class of 2025

ULSD’s Advanced Standing admission option into the DMD program is designed for selected individuals who have received a dental degree from an institution outside the United States or Canada. ULSD does not admit advanced standing students every year, as the program is depending on space available in the D2 class. This year’s White Coat ceremony honored seven internationally trained dentists who came to the United States from the Republic of India, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of the Philippines, and Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. They began their studies at ULSD in January 2023 and will graduate with the DMD class of 2025.

About the Dental Hygiene class of 2025

Each year 30 students are admitted to the upper division of the University of Louisville Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene program. Fewer than half of applicants gain admission to the program. Members of the class of 2025 come from 21 different colleges and universities and earned an average GPA of 3.62 for both program requirements and overall GPA.

2023 White Coat Ceremony Photo Gallery

To view and download official photos from the event, browse the photo gallery below or go to https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAUjat

September 11, 2023