{"id":104855,"date":"2025-08-12T16:11:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T20:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/?p=104855"},"modified":"2025-08-12T20:32:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T00:32:04","slug":"physician-assistant-class-of-2028-celebrates-white-coat-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/2025\/08\/12\/physician-assistant-class-of-2028-celebrates-white-coat-ceremony\/","title":{"rendered":"Physician Assistant Class of 2028 Celebrates White Coat Ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

The new students will join first-year medical students for 18 months of team-based learning<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA)<\/a> Class of 2028 celebrated their White Coat Ceremony with family, friends, faculty and staff in Hiebert Lounge on Friday, Aug. 8, officially marking their entry into the study and professional practice of medicine. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
PA Program Director Aliza Stern, MMSc, PA-C, addresses the Class of 2028.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The program\u2019s 26 new students are the 12th PA class and will join over 200 alumni following the completion of 114.5 credit hours over nearly three years. For the first 18 months of their program, they will attend classes alongside first-year medical students, integrating foundational sciences and clinical medicine in a team-based learning environment. While there are over 300 PA education programs across the United States, BU is one of only a handful nationwide that provide combined classes for PA and MD students<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In what is the heart of the celebration, second-year PA students helped their first-year counterparts into the white coats that are a symbol of the profession. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This will be PA Program Director Aliza Stern, MMSc, PA-C first year as program director, following the retirement of Clinical Associate Professor of OB\/GYN Susan White, MD. Stern previously served as director of didactic education for the program. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Class of 2028 recites the Physician Assistant Professional Oath, led by Class of 2027 President Laney Diehl, PA-S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In her remarks to students, Stern discussed the significance of the white coat and urged them to \u201creflect on the definition of professionalism and why it is important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Dean, ad interim<\/em>, Hee-Young Park, PhD, encouraged students \u201cto humbly<\/span> and faithfully provide compassionate patient-centered care and make a difference for the human being behind the patient.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will join a membership of health professionals around the globe,\u201d Park said. \u201cYou are becoming a special part of the global community.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Dean, ad interim, Hee-Young Park, PhD, honors the families and loved ones of the Class of 2028.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Medical Sciences, C. James McKnight, PhD, urged students to take advantage of all opportunities presented to them \u2013 both inside and outside of the classroom \u2013 during their time at BU. He noted that the medical school\u2019s association with Boston Medical Center will allow for significant collaboration with practicing physicians and bench-to-bedside learning opportunities. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are part of an exceptionally strong and vibrant program,\u201d McKnight said. \u201cBe kind to each other. Take care of each other. Try to include each other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dipu Patel, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C delivered the ceremony\u2019s keynote address. Patel serves as board president of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) and as professor and vice chair for innovation at the University of Pittsburgh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Keynote speaker Dipu Patel, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, addresses the Class of 2028.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cYou are truly entering a profession that has brought me many years of joy,\u201d Patel said as she reflected on lessons learned from her time as a PA. She told the students that the white coat is a symbol of a profession built on trust, compassion, curiosity and service. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMedicine begins with listening,\u201d Patel said. \u201cListening to bodies. Listening to stories. And listening in the silent moments, because they can be the most powerful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Patel asked students to contemplate their role in health care. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThink about and reflect on how you want to make your presence known, not only within BU, but in the larger medical profession,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur entire profession is rooting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

See the Facebook album here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The new students will join first-year medical students for 18 months of team-based learning The Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA) Class of 2028 celebrated their White Coat Ceremony with family, friends, faculty and staff in Hiebert Lounge on Friday, Aug. 8, officially marking their entry into the study and professional practice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20706,"featured_media":104787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[795,54],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104855"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20706"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104855"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104866,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104855\/revisions\/104866"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}