White Coat Ceremony

“The White Coat Ceremony is about celebrating the future of you—as well as the ‘you’ that brought you here—as you embark on this marvelous journey,” Dean and CEO Robert I. Grossman, MD, told members of the class of ’13 at this annual rite of passage, held in Farkas Auditorium on August 28. He congratulated the 166 incoming medical students for being chosen from among 6,810 applicants. Then, he invited them to don the coveted white coats that symbolize their entry into what he called “an ancient and noble profession.” After Dean Grossman administered the oath of commitment, eight faculty members lined up onstage to help the new students as they thrust their arms eagerly into the sleeves of their hard-earned uniforms, with families and friends cheering them on. Among those who performed the honors was Daniel Roses, MD, the Jules Leonard Whitehill Professor of Surgery, who delivered a keynote address that chronicled the School’s long, rich history.

“How and where the white coat came to symbolize our calling, no one knows for sure,” Dean Grossman explained. “Some think it dates back to the introduction of aseptic surgery in the late 1800s, as a way of protecting both the physician and the patient from cross-contamination. Others think physicians started wearing it so they would look more like scientists, back when medicine was still 99 percent art—not to say guesswork. However this tradition began, the white coat is important as a symbol. Our profession requires the highest of your ideals . . . the deepest of your commitment . . . and the best of your heart. All that will earn you the immense privilege of having other people trust you with their lives.”

Web Extra: For a story about “The Keeper of the Coats,” visit http://newsandviews.med.nyu.edu/keeper-coats.