PA White Coat Ceremony Welcomes 22 Students to the Class of 2027
Now donning their white coats, the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA) Class of 2027 has officially entered the study and professional practice of medicine.
The cohort’s 22 students celebrated their White Coat Ceremony surrounded by faculty, staff, family and friends on Friday, Aug. 9, in Hiebert Lounge. The students comprise the program’s 11th class and will one day join more than 200 PA alumni who have graduated since 2016.
The annual ceremony marks the beginning of the 114.5 credit-hour professional-degree program, which spans over 34 months. For the next 18 months, the incoming PA class and first-year medical students will attend team-based classes together that integrate foundational sciences and clinical medicine.
BU is one of two medical schools nationwide that offer combined classes for PA and MD students.
During the ceremony, students heard from BUMC Provost and medical school Dean Karen Antman, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of OB/GYN and PA Program Director Susan White, MD, and Theresa Davies, PhD, assistant dean of master’s programs for Graduate Medical Sciences.
“Today, as of now, you’re already part of the health care team,” Antman said. “You must behave as a professional from the start of your PA education, even if you don’t quite know what that means.”
Antman acknowledged that the new cohort is likely both nervous and excited to start on a new career path and academic program. Despite inevitable bumps in the road to come, Antman reassured the class that no matter what, “you’ll still be a great PA.”
She advised the cohort to work as a team, to avoid procrastinating, to reach out for help when needed, to have fun and to “start thinking like a PA, not an undergraduate.”
Davies commended the family and friends of the incoming class, as well as the PA program faculty who will support them on their academic journey.
“You have an incredible faculty serving you,” Davies said. “Do use your faculty. They really are on your side to help.
“Boston is a great place to go to school, be a student, grow and learn,” she continued. “Don’t forget to enjoy your time as you study.”
Oren Berkowitz, PhD, MS, PA-C, delivered the keynote address. Berkowitz, a clinical researcher in psychiatry and neurology, is medical director of Boston-based Clexio Biosciences and a founding faculty member of the BU’s PA program.
“The white coat is a physical emblem of your status as a health care professional,” Berkowitz said. He encouraged students to wield the “magic” of the white coat to their advantage as they enter the field and begin providing care to patients.
“Once you move beyond these hallowed halls of learning, […] the white coat is something you become,” he said. “People will turn to you for advice. They will trust you as someone who is sharp, educated, honest and reliable.”
Berkowitz said that his white coat has opened professional doors for him “that were sometimes surprising.”
He began his career as a neurosurgery PA before being recruited to launch the BU PA Program and develop the program’s director of research position. He then expanded his career into public health, health services and policy in his work to develop the PA profession around the world, particularly in Israel.
“What can you do with your white coat?” he asked the cohort.
Each student received their white coat following the keynote address. PA Associate Director of Clinical Education Michael Smith, MS, PA-C, read student names, while second-year PA student mentors coated their first-year mentees as they approached the podium.
Once all students received their white coats, Class of 2026 President Paige Conner, PA-S, led the cohort in reciting the Physician Assistant Professional Oath. The oath marks the cohort’s recognition of the ethical and professional responsibilities of the PA profession.
“You are our 11th class,” White said. “We’re looking forward to spending the next couple of years here with you. It will be great fun.”
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Submitted by Sarah Rowan.