BY: Kaleria Jackson
On October 4, 2019, Auburn University at Montgomery hosted their fourth annual White Coat Ceremony. The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for medical students, and was created by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 1993. During the ceremony, a white coat is placed on each student’s shoulders, and often the Hippocratic Oath is recited, signifying their entrance into the medical profession. At the beginning of the ceremony Julie Firman, DPN, NP, FACHE System and Chief Nurse Executive at Baptist Health, gave the keynote remarks that gave an inspiring message not only to the students, but to anyone in attendance.
During the ceremony, Jean D. Leuner, PhD, RN, CNE, FAAN presented the new official seal that is now on the lab coats that were placed on each student and on the programs for the evening. The seal represents the excellence, wisdom, and service that AUM represents. The Department of Communication Disorders, Medical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and Nursing presented 154 students with their white coats for the cloaking portion of the ceremony. After having the coats placed on each student, each oath was recited by each department.
As the ceremony came to a close, the look of accomplishment was etched on each students face as they walked proudly in their white coats for the first time. We would like to congratulate all of these students on their achievement and their entrance into the world of medicine. Good luck on your success thus far.