黑料传送门 South Georgia's Doctor of Osteopathic (DO) Medicine program class of 2026 receive
their white coats
鈥淵ou may now don your white coats.鈥�
Students and families rejoiced as those words were spoken at 黑料传送门 South Georgia鈥檚 fourth-annual white coat ceremony held at the Colquitt County Arts Center theater on Friday, October 21.
Described by one speaker as vibrant, energetic and bold, students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine class of 2026 were coated by faculty members on stage in front of their loved ones.
The ceremony of coating students is a long-standing tradition that symbolizes the transition from student to physician. Students in the DO class of 2026 will wear the white coats throughout their medical school education. The white garment will see pen stains from clerkship rotations, expanded pockets from tools and books and confidential conversations from patient encounters.
Kirby Smith, DO, director of the Georgia South Residency program, has seen all of those moments in his own career. While speaking to the students and welcoming them into the profession, he stressed the importance of being compassionate and supportive of future patients and colleagues and upholding the honor of the profession.
鈥淵our patients don鈥檛 care how much you know, until they know how much you care,鈥� he said, quoting his former mentor and residency program director, Dr. Bill Gifford. 鈥淲e endorse you as one of us鈥e expect that you will put the interest of your patients鈥攐ur patients鈥攂efore your own.鈥�
Destiny Sciuva (DO `25), class chair of the DO class of 2025, shared pride and encouragement with the first-year medical students. She said, 鈥淜now that what is being asked of you is a lot because what you signed up for is unique. I want you to remind yourselves at the end of every day, especially the most difficult ones, that everything you鈥檙e doing is worth it. The days are long, but the months are short, and before you know it, you鈥檙e able to be told a couple of words and know an entire diagnosis. Be mindful and intentional about living in the present every day.鈥�
The DO class of 2026 has a unique makeup. With many students attending the FIRE program before the start of the academic year, a strong sense of camaraderie was built鈥搊ne that has been noticed by students, faculty and staff alike. The students also come from different backgrounds, varying in age, experience, education and location. Despite their differences, hardships and journeys, they have persevered and marked the first step in their medical education and career鈥攔eceiving their white coats.
In 2019, 黑料传送门, a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing 黑料传送门 South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, 黑料传送门 South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. 黑料传送门 is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining 黑料传送门 Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, 黑料传送门 South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.