PA White Coat Ceremony

Twenty-five first-year students donned white coats for the first time as part of the Physician Assistant (PA) Program White Coat Ceremony for the incoming class of 2016.

The students, their faculty, families and friends were welcomed by Wade Professor and Chair of Medicine David Coleman, MD. The keynote address was given by PA Russell Dorr who reflected on the history of the profession and on his role as medical consultant to author Stephen King. Following Dorr, two patients who have received care from PAs, encouraged the students to take the time to “listen to your patients” and connect with them as individuals to ensure they feel comfortable and cared for. The students recited the Physician Assistant Professional Oath near the end of the ceremony.

The White Coat Ceremony is part of a time-honored tradition that marks the students’ entry into the medical profession. While the PA students matriculated in April 2016,  they participate in the ceremony after they have learned to take a patient history and perform a physical exam and before they begin weekly practice in a clinical setting.

The students were chosen from more than 1,700 applicants and come from 13 states and one foreign country.