White Coat Ceremony: Embarking on a Journey to Places You Cannot Yet Imagine

The traditional White Coat Ceremony held Aug. 1 on Talbot Green marked the first steps in the professional journeys for the 189 members of BUSM’s Class of 2020.  “You are embarking on a journey that will take you to places you cannot yet imagine. You are on the cusp of entering a world that is glorious and exhilarating, yet also frightening and steeped with responsibility of a lifetime of commitment,” explained keynote speaker Sondra S. Crosby, MD, associate professor of Medicine, Health Law, Policy & Management, at BUSM and BUSPH, respectively.

Crosby noted that practicing medicine has given her the privilege of forming deeply personal bonds with people all over the world, enriching her life to the fullest.  She explained that her white coat is a symbol of the trust she has earned.  “You will earn that trust and respect with experience and time.”

Drawn from a pool of  more than 11,000 candidates through six entry pathways and 84 undergraduate institutions, the Class of 2020 includes 57 percent women, 18 percent from groups under-represented in medicine and almost 17 percent with a graduate degree at the Master’s level or above, some with more than one.

A highly accomplished class, most have participated in research and many have published scientific papers. Some have been volunteers with Americorps, Teach for America and The Peace Corps, while others have worked in high tech, taught elementary school or started a business.

The class is diverse in many ways. Its members come from 26 different states in the U.S. and were born in 20 countries. One hundred seventy-four (90 percent) speak more than one language and as a group speak a total of 27 different languages. “In cultural, social, economic, racial, ethnic, educational and linguistic terms, and in your life experiences, you define the pluralism that we so value in our society,” noted Associate Dean for Admissions Robert Witzburg, MD ’77, in formally presenting the class.

In welcoming the class to the School of Medicine, Dean Karen Antman, MD, explained that “Medicine is a renaissance profession that requires all of your brain, all of your heart and all of your soul.  You cannot learn it from a book and it’s not all science.

“The white coat ceremony marks a major life transition.  It is the beginning of your formal medical education. When you put on the white coat for the first time today, the message is that you are already part of the profession. Your patients will not differentiate between you and their doctors as you will both be in white coats and, thus, you must behave as a physician.”

While Douglas Hughes, MD, associate dean for academic affairs, read their names, each class member climbed the stage where they were coated by faculty members:  Sonia Ananthakrishan, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; Gregory A. Grillone, MD, Vice Chair of Otolaryngology; David, C. Henderson, MD, Chair of Psychiatry; James Holsapple, MD, Chair of Neurosurgery; David B. McAneny, MD, Vice Chair of Surgery; Chaitan K. Narsule, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery; Jorge A Soto, MD, Chair of Radiology; Rachel W. Thompson, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Megan E. Young, MD, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.

Led by Associate Dean for Alumni Affairs Jean Ramsey, MD ’90, the class recited the Hippocratic Oath for the first time.

“While these white coats are full of symbolism and standardize you as our medical students, we selected you, not to homogenize you, but to develop your differences,” explained Rafael Ortega, MD, Associate Dean for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. “The differences you bring in gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, philosophy and life experiences are our strength.

“Beneath that white coat carry your uniqueness proudly, and with great self-awareness of the contributions each one of you can make in the unquestionably open environment we have created for your education and professional development.  It has been said that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Let these white coats symbolize the opportunity you have to become great physicians. “

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