Valley Medical Students Receive White Coats
It was a memorable time for the California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine as they hosted their first official White Coat Ceremonies for the classes of 2024 and 2025 on Saturday, October 2nd.
The ceremonies took place at the Paul Shaghoian Memorial Concert Hall and included 199 medical students in total between the two recipient classes. This was more than one ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the ceremony for the class of 2024 last year. All attendees were required to be fully vaccinated and wear masks throughout the ceremony.
The White Coat Ceremony is symbolized as a rite of passage for the students as they take their first steps into the medical field by first emphasizing the importance of compassionate patient care.
Dean of the CHSU-COM John Graneto spoke to the students and those in attendance the history of the white coats while also informing students about the importance of professionalism and humanism in all health care careers.
“I’m very proud that today our CHSU student doctors better represent the populations we serve through our University’s and medical community’s focused efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion in medicine and medical education” Graneto said. “You develop your professionalism through relationships, reflection and resilience; these are things you “wear” even when not in white coat. Each time you wear your white coat should remind you of the honor to provide care for another human being.”
Keynote addresses for both ceremonies were given by Doctor Rebeccah Rodriguez-Regner. Dr. Rodriguez-Regner is a board-certified Family Medicine and Sports Medicine physician who also serves as a physician for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The white coats were sponsored by the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California (OPSC). The association serves over 9,000 current and future Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine throughout California.