SIU SDM Class of 2030 and IAPP Class of 2028 Hold White Coat Ceremony with Family Ties

SIU SDM Class of 2030 and IAPP Class of 2028 Hold White Coat Ceremony with Family Ties

On Friday, October 2, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) recognized 50 first-year students (Class of 2030) and six international advanced placement program students (IAPP, Class of 2028) during the traditional White Coat Ceremony. Hundreds of family members filled the Morris University Center's Meridian Ballroom to celebrate the students as they pledged their professional oath with faculty.

The event opened with the evening's emcee SIU SDM Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs Dan Ketteman, DDS. "To me, the white coat ceremony represents three things: tradition, professionalism, and trust," Ketteman stated. "For decades, health professions across the country have marked this occasion as a symbolic welcome into the caring professions. This ceremony recognizes the dedication and perseverance that brought you here, while also marking the beginning of your journey toward becoming a dental professional."

SIUE Associate Provost Elza Ibroscheva, PhD, acknowledged the esteemed faulty on stage, and assured the class of first-year student practitioners that they were selected for this program amidst stiff competition.

"The 50 first-year dental students were selected from an incredibly competitive applicant pool of 982 qualified applicants. The six international students were themselves selected from among 350 highly qualified dentists who have earned international dental degrees," said Ibroscheva. "I want to commend you for overcoming long odds, distinguishing yourself among your peers and embracing the opportunity to experience an excellent dental education at the SIU School of Dental Medicine."

Also recognized on the stage was Sue Bishop, DMD, who represented the sponsorship of the Central Illinois Academy of General Dentistry, the Illinois section of the American College of Dentistry, the Illinois State Dental Society (ISDS) Foundation and the International College of Dentists Eighth District.

In reference to the faculty, keynote speaker and alumnus Keith Evans, DMD, '01, shared his student experience with those who had his back during a "frustrating and tough time."

"Here's the secret now: The school and the faculty want you all to graduate from dental school. You made it through that hard part. They want you to succeed. So, when you feel like they're picking on you or treating you harshly, making you redo assignments and projects, you've got to understand they're just trying to teach you," Evans advised. "They're trying to teach you the necessary skills you need. They're trying to teach you the necessary mental fortitude it needs to get through challenging times. These are skills that you'll someday realize make you the dentist, the specialist, the business owner, the dental professional, the person that you do become."

Evans continued to assure the future dentists: "We change lives. We change smiles. We change people's ability to eat and talk. We cure diseases. We relieve pain. It's truly powerful what we can do, and it's your responsibility to be able to perform these tasks and help these people. You need to be knowledgeable. You need to be confident. You need to be able to solve problems. You need to be compassionate. You need to be caring. Because remember, what you're doing is performing irreversible procedures on people, and they trust you to do this. And it's your responsibility not to abuse that trust."

Faculty members Jennifer Rapini, DDS, Cathy Longos, DMD, '89, and Ken Rawson, DMD, '05, issued white coats to student practitioners.

Longos and Rawson each had the special treat of placing the white coat on one of their own.

Rawson's daughter Brooke credits the family lineage for choosing to enter the profession: "His father was a dentist. Ever since I was small, I always thought that that's what I wanted to do with my life. And when it came down to it, I didn't have another answer."

Longos' son James took the long road to his dental school application, working in pharmaceutical research and development after graduating with a master's degree in chemistry.

"So, I'm the old dad of the group," said Longos. "One of my mentors from the company where I was working said, 'What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here. You could be doing more with your abilities. And at the end of the day, money doesn't matter. What matters is being able to see the difference that you've made in people's lives when you look back at the work you've done.' And that really was the driving factor that made me apply."

Dean Saulius Drukteinis, DMD, MS, PhD, recited with the class the Professional Oath based on the Hippocratic Oath, the Prayer of Maimonides, and the 1947 Declaration of Geneva.

Drukteinis first expressed how proud he was of the class and told them how privileged they were to develop the knowledge and skills to truly help those in need.

Fourth-year dental student Kelly Metcalf, president of the SIU SDM Student Council shared final thoughts for the evening.

"The people sitting next to you tonight-those are the ones that will get you through your 100th crown prep on a plastic tooth when you're questioning all your life choices. I truly could not have survived the past couple years without my dental school friends, who by now I consider family. No one understands the struggle quite like the person sitting in the next operator chair."

Metcalf continued, "These next four years are truly what you make of them, there'll be bumps in the road, but you will make it to graduation, and you will have fun along the way."

Photos by Howard Ash