The Whiddon College of Medicine Class of 2026 knows that with the power of the white coat comes great responsibility.
Marking the transition into their clinical training, 76 third-year medical students were cloaked with white coats in a ceremony at the Mitchell Center last Friday. The students also took the Medical Student Oath, a promise to uphold the human aspects of medicine such as sensitivity, compassion and respect for patients.
Brian Fouty, M.D., professor of internal medicine and pharmacology, was one of the keynote speakers at the event. “In 22½ months, when you return to this stage,” he said, “and you trade the short white coat you are about to receive for a diploma and a longer white coat that you will wear in residency, you will want to be able to say to the faculty, to your family, to your classmates, but most importantly to yourself, that you spent this time wisely and that you only used the power of the white coat for good.”
In his remarks, Abu-Bakr Al-Mehdi, M.D., Ph.D., assistant dean for medical education and professor of pharmacology, emphasized the importance of building trust with patients. “It takes communication skills – both nonverbal and verbal – sympathy and empathy, confidence in one’s own training, learning by observing your teachers, and experience,” he said.
However, Al-Mehdi noted, “you never really stop learning. Once a medical student, forever a medical student.”
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Class of 2026 President Thomas Robinson gives the class response. |
“This swing is what we have between this class,” Robinson said. “This perfect unison and seamless teamwork have brought us to where we are today. As we move into our clinical years, let’s strive to maintain this swing in our practice, working together in harmony to provide unwavering devotion to our patients.
“Let us wear our white coats with honor, humility and a deep sense of purpose. Let us continue to strive for excellence for our future patients and each other.”
Robinson reinforced the responsibility that comes with wearing the traditional dress of physicians for more than a century. “As we don our white coats today, and embrace a new responsibility,” he said, “we will soon be entrusted with the care of patients, hearing their stories, sharing in their triumphs, and supporting them through difficult times.”
The event also served as the induction ceremony for the USA chapter of the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society (GHHS). Inductees – elected by vote of medical students – were selected for practicing patient-centered medical care with integrity, compassion and altruism. They also received GHHS pins.
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| GHHS inductees gather at Moulton Tower on campus. |
Class of 2025 Medical Students
- Jerry O. Andrews II
- Mary Claire Carlton
- Emily S. Cleveland
- Cinnamin C. Cross
- Tara L. Hicks
- Chandler S. Hinson
- Naden W. Kreitz
- Warren E. Law III
- Peter Ledet
- Natalie A. Simpkins
- Yulong H. Stokes
Residents
- Kiah Gledhill, M.D., Department of Surgery
- Christopher Warren Johnson III, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine
- Alexander McNally, M.D., Department of Surgery
- Matthew Norris, D.O., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Faculty
- Abu-Bakr Al-Mehdi, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Medical Education, Professor of Pharmacology
- Brian Fouty, M.D., Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program, Professor of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology
The White Coat Ceremony is sponsored in part by the USA Medical Alumni Association.
View more photos from the ceremony on Flickr.
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| Whiddon College of Medicine Class of 2026 |
