UAB Synopsis, Vol. 24, No. 33, September 12, 2005
The School of Medicine formally welcomed the Class of 2009 during an impressive White Coat Ceremony on August 8 at the Alys Robinson Stephens Center. Friends, families, and faculty gathered for the medical school ritual where students receive their first white coat – a symbol of dedication to the pursuit of knowledge in order to help individuals.
White Coat Ceremonies, a practice now followed by medical schools nationwide, mark students' commitment to caring for patients.
"The White Coat Ceremony is not unique to the School of Medicine," says Helen Hughes Evans, MD, associate dean for students. "However, we were one of the first schools to embrace this phenomenon, which has spread to medical schools across the United States." School of Medicine (SOM) Dean Robert Rich, MD, delivered welcoming and closing remarks.
The Medical Alumni Association cosponsored the event by providing the white coats. Alan Dimick, MD, medical alumni representative, told the graduates: "May this white coat remind you every day of your goals and ethics in your lifelong pursuit of integrity through your service to mankind."
In addition to receiving a white coat, students took an oath, signed the SOM Honor Code, and received a pin and a book, On Doctoring — a collection of stories, essays, and poems edited by Richard Reynolds, MD, and John Stone, MD.
Robert Centor, MD, associate dean of medicine, gave the keynote address. Dr. Centor emphasized the medical profession's lofty goals. "You are joining a wonderful profession. You have the opportunity to explore the human body's complexity. You will learn anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry and problems that arise from disorders. But always remember why you study medicine. Always remember our goal is to help individual patients."