On Oct. 18 the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell held its 14th White Coat Ceremony at the Long Island Marriott Grand Ballroom.
Surrounded by their families, friends, faculty, and school administrators, 101 first-year medical students participated in the ceremony, donning the iconic white coat — the representative emblem of the medical field, for the very first time.
Established in 1993 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, the White Coat Ceremony is a traditional rite of passage celebrated by medical schools throughout the nation, marking the transformation of medical students into healthcare professionals.
The ceremony took place just a few weeks after the students completed their first course in emergency medical training, instead of at the beginning of their educational journey, recognizing them as new learners and as colleagues in medicine.
“We believe that this journey from student to physician is a transformative process. It takes time to nurture, and there are sometimes bumps along the road in defining one’s professional identity from person to professional,” explained Dr. David L. Battinelli, Deborah and Lawrence Smith Dean of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and executive vice president and physician-in-chief, Northwell Health.
“Congratulations to all of you on your White Coat Ceremony and for this journey that you’ve just begun.”
After being individually presented and coated by Zucker School of Medicine faculty members, Drs. Taranjeet Ahuja and Carmen Rodriguez, the first-year students recited an adaptation of the Hippocratic Oath, under the leadership of Dr. Samara B. Ginzburg, vice dean and dean for education, pledging to “do no harm”, an important promise to take as they continue on their journey in the medical profession.
Susan Poser, president of Hofstra University, also joined the ceremony and had the opportunity to address the Class of 2028.
“Your coat symbolizes candor, and truth-telling to your patients and in research. This new vestment will make you recognizable as someone who is highly educated in a career whose purpose is to care for others, and who took an oath to keep healthcare human and to care for your patients with dignity, compassion, empathy and respect,” said Poser. “The entire community of Hofstra University is here to support you throughout this passage to becoming physicians, we are genuinely excited for you, excited to get to know you, and already very proud of you for getting to this moment in your lives. On behalf of Hofstra University, I congratulate you as physicians in training, and I look forward to following your progress.”
Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, professor and chair of medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, delivered the ceremony’s keynote address.
His critically acclaimed 2019 book, “Compassionomics,” explores how compassionate healthcare can be a matter of life and death for patients. In his latest book, “Wonder Drug,” co-authored with Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli, Trzeciak reveals how serving others is the best medicine for oneself.
In his keynote address, Dr. Trzeciak touched on both of these points, urging students to let their compassion shine at the forefront of their care and focus on it in an effort to be the best physician they can be.
“I want you to commit yourself to getting better at compassion because compassion is the cornerstone of caring for patients. It is the emotional response to another’s pain or suffering involving an authentic desire to help. Your white coat is a responsibility to serve. Serving others is central to what this school and our profession are all about,” said Dr. Trzeciak. “You were selected to be here not only because of your academic record but because of your personal attributes, your service to others, your resilience and your compassion fits the ethos. Therefore, let this white coat you’re about to receive be your cloak of compassion, your ever-present reminder of the responsibility to serve and the beginning of finding your true fulfillment.”
Comprised of 101 students, the Zucker School of Medicine’s Class of 2028 is a culturally rich group with students from a mix of socioeconomic backgrounds, academic/career experiences, and various walks of life. The class represents 14 states and 53 universities across the country.
