White Coat Ceremony Welcomes New Class of Med Owls

Florida Atlantic’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine hosted its annual White Coat Ceremony today, celebrating the incoming Class of 2027 as they begin their journey into medical school. This symbolic rite of passage not only welcomes new students into the program, but also signifies the important commitments they are making by entering the medical profession.

During the ceremony, I had the honor of addressing our new Med Owls before they received their white coats and “Humanism in Medicine” lapel pins. The pins were generously provided by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which led the first White Coat Ceremony in 1993 to emphasize humanism in medicine at the onset of a student’s medical education. Additionally, the Palm Beach County Medical Society welcomed each student with a new stethoscope to symbolize the knowledge, dedication and care required of them as physicians.

Donning their white coats, lapel pins and stethoscopes, the students then recited an oath together, which was written collectively as an expression of their commitment to both medical training and the medical profession.

I’d like to thank Schmidt College of Medicine alumna Dr. Jaclyn Klimczak ’16 for providing inspiring keynote remarks to our ambitious incoming class. I also want to thank the College’s dedicated leaders for supporting our future doctors through each step of their academic careers and ensuring they receive a world-class education.

We are incredibly proud of our talented medical students and look forward to training the Class of 2027 as they become the next generation of patient-centered physicians.