GW Welcomes Its Newest Medical Students at White Coat Ceremony

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The George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) welcomed the members of the M.D. Program Class of 2030 into the medical profession Aug. 29, during the school's 28th annual White Coat and Honor Code Ceremony at Lisner Auditorium. Surrounded by family members, friends and faculty members of the GW health care community, the students marked this first step in their health care careers by reciting the GW SMHS oath, signing the honor code, and pledging their commitment to medicine and patient care.

Continuing a long-standing tradition, first-year SMHS medical students receive their white coats and a commemorative reflex hammer through donations from the GW Medical Alumni Association and the White Coat Initiative. The gifts offer alumni an opportunity to congratulate the incoming class and welcome them to the GW health care community.

This year's class comes to GW from 22 states across the country, with a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds. The students range in age from 20 to 28, with an average age of 23. Women make up 52% of the class. Research experience is common. Thirty-one students have already published work in journals including Neurosurgery, Frontiers in Immunology, Journal of Cell Biology and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

During his opening remarks, Lorenzo Norris, senior associate dean for education and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health, welcomed the students and the families and friends who filled the auditorium.

A symbol of the medical profession for more than 100 years, the white coat has come to represent ideals of professionalism, trust, and scientific integrity. In 1993, Arnold Gold established the national tradition of the White Coat Ceremony to emphasize, from the very start of medical education, the moral commitment physicians hold to patients.

Norris asked students to consider what they will bring to the coat, rather than what the coat itself represents.

Ultimately, he said, the coat is "nothing more than a white coat." What matters, he continued, is who and what you put into it. "The true value lies in the wearer's commitment to compassion, empathy, and professional ethics."

"As physicians, we are asked to embody humanistic ideals. That is the mission," Norris explained. "When you put that coat on…I want you thinking about your humanistic values. One of my old mentors used to say: humanists first, physicians second, specialists third."

Fourth-year medical student Paul Shields offered the class another perspective on the road ahead. In his student remarks, Shields spoke about the demands of medical education and the importance of keeping those demands from narrowing students' focus.

He shared advice from a mentor about balancing the work of becoming a physician with the people and responsibilities outside medical school.

"The role of the physician is fundamentally one of service," Shields told the class, but the process of becoming a physician, mastering vast amounts of information and establishing the habits, instincts, and frameworks necessary to practice medicine, can be very self-focused.

"Be careful," he cautioned, "it's easy to let self-focus slip into self-absorption. Striving for self-improvement is necessary, but self-absorption is not."

Craig DeWolfe, a pediatric hospitalist at Children's National Hospital and a clinical professor of pediatrics with GW SMHS, delivered the keynote address.

In reflecting on the honor and responsibility that comes with a career in medicine, DeWolfe explained that the "white coat is not a cape, but like superheroes, you will always be better as a team."

The white coat, he said, represents far more than status as a physician. It is a visible reminder of the trust patients place in their doctors and of the responsibility that comes with being welcomed into a profession entrusted with caring for people at their most vulnerable.

DeWolfe reminded the students, that responsibility extends beyond clinical excellence; it calls for accountability to one another, humility when expectations are not met, the courage to seek help, and a commitment to in caring for patients and serving the broader community.

"Celebrate this moment and your achievements," he said, "Honor the privilege of caring for the vulnerable in times of need. Find joy in moments with your patients and contribute to the world's greater good."

To close out the ceremony, Norris led the class of 2030 as they recited the GW SMHS oath.

The students pledged to serve patients, families and their communities with respect, confidence, compassion and humanity. They also committed themselves to continued learning, advancing knowledge, open-minded collaboration and high ethical standards, while supporting the personal and professional growth of their colleagues.

This story originally appeared on the SMHS website.

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