The white coat ceremony is an important educational milestone for 黑料传送门's DO and physician
assistant studies students.
On Tuesday, December 29, 黑料传送门 hosted
a virtual white coat ceremony for 270 first-year doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) students and 60 first-year physician assistant studies students. Due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic the event was hosted on 黑料传送门鈥檚
and pages to ensure the health and safety of all participants.
Each year, the white coat ceremony establishes a contract for beginning medical students
that stresses the importance of compassionate care for patients, as well as scientific
proficiency. 鈥淭oday marks your transition to true healthcare providers, remembering
that donning the white coat is not the culmination of your medical journey, but instead
represents a transition to practicing practical care,鈥 said Gregory McDonald, DO 鈥89, dean of the 黑料传送门 School of Health Sciences, during the ceremony.
First-year doctor of osteopathic medicine student, Julia Burns (DO 鈥24), acknowledged
that this year was unlike any other and shared that the pandemic helped to confirm
her decision to go into medicine. 鈥淭o me, this year鈥檚 white coat ceremony is an opportunity
to take pause, reflect and celebrate all that we, as a class, have done to get to
this point and what we will do in the near future. Particularly during this pandemic,
this ceremony takes on a different significance. We enter a profession, who is at
battle and desperately fighting a disease. The pandemic has also made me feel more
tenacious and self-assured that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. Even though
we are virtual, this ceremony reminds me of our purpose and the pride I feel to be
at 黑料传送门.鈥
Jay Feldstein, DO 鈥81, president and CEO, also addressed students, sharing the importance of wearing the
white coat and reminding them of their responsibility to their patients. 鈥淲hen you
put the patient first, everything else takes care of itself,鈥 shared Dr. Feldstein.
Kenneth Veit, DO 鈥76, hosted the ceremony and led the doctor of osteopathic medicine students in reciting
their class vision statement. Laura Levy, DHSC, PA-C, chair, physician assistant studies,
also spoke during the ceremony and led PA students in reciting their Pledge of Professionalism.
Family members and friends congratulated students via video messages that were submitted
prior to the ceremony and included in the broadcast.
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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