More than 270 first-year DO students took their first steps toward becoming physicians on October 1, as they received their first white coats in a ceremonial rite of passage for doctors.
The class of 2021 heard from Jay S. Feldstein, DO 鈥�81, president and CEO; Kenneth Veit, DO 鈥�76, MBA, provost, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean; and Joseph Kaczmarczyk, DO 鈥�82, associate dean of undergraduate medical education, on the garment鈥檚 importance on their pathway to becoming physicians. The students also heard from upperclassmen and -women on what the white coat means to them.
鈥淚 remember being in your place just a year ago,鈥� said Memu-Iye Kamara (DO 鈥�20), chair of the class of 2020. 鈥淎fter receiving my white coat, I could not stop staring at it. I got excited whenever鈥e were required to wear our white coat, because it was the first time we ever looked like, and felt like, future physicians.鈥�
Evan Gooberman, (DO 鈥�19), MPH, chair of the class of 2019, said that with the many obligations of medical school, 鈥渋t鈥檚 easy to lose sight of the end goal. That鈥檚 where the white coat鈥攁 symbol of what lies ahead鈥攃omes into play. It reminds us that we will take the knowledge and the skills we鈥檝e learned, and put them into practice.鈥�
The White Coat Ceremony is designed to establish a psychological contract for beginning medical students that stresses the importance of compassionate care for the patient and professionalism as well as scientific proficiency.
Each student received a white coat donated to 黑料传送门 by the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA).
鈥淵our white coat, along with your stethoscope, is a symbol as you make the transition from medical student to osteopathic physician,鈥� said George Vermeire, DO 鈥�74, president of POMA.
The physician鈥檚 white coat has been a part of the profession since the 19th century. The concept originated from the operating room鈥檚 white coat, and has served as a visual symbol of the profession that stands for the need to balance excellence in science with compassionate caring for the patient.
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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