Midwestern University Honors Future Healthcare Professionals with White Coat Ceremonies

Over 1,300 first-year Midwestern University students from the Downers Grove and Glendale campuses had their clinical white coats bestowed upon them by their faculty. The students also took the Oath of Commitment with several important vows including the promise to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge of a healthcare provider, assume responsibility for the healthcare field they are trained in, respect their faculty, and value their predecessors in their profession.

The students who received the white coats are studying curriculums from a variety of healthcare fields including dental medicine, pharmacy, optometry, osteopathic medicine, physician assistant, occupational therapy, psychology, speech-language pathology, podiatry, and veterinary medicine. Their family and friends showed their support for the students and came to cheer them on, and the ceremony was also live-streamed.

Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., Midwestern University President and Chief Executive Officer spoke of the history of the white coat in healthcare professions. She also encouraged the students and gave advice for any difficult days. “I want you to realize that this could be one of the most wonderful opportunities you're ever going to have. Take advantage of it, learn as much as you can, take it as seriously as you can, put yourself into it, knowing that you're on a journey that's going to get you where you want to be. And I've always told students when you really hit a tough time, take a minute, put your white coat back on, look in the mirror, and think about why you started the journey to begin with.”

The White Coat Ceremony is a symbolic way for the faculty to welcome future healthcare professionals into their future careers. It also serves as a reminder that students will one day be wearing those white coats daily to work with patients, where they will carry on the commitment and oath they made during the ceremony.