health.mil

Dana P. McCullough  |  health.mil

April 24, 2012

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) School of Medicine recently held its annual White Coat Ceremony which honors first-year medical students with the venerable white coat.  Recognized as a symbol of caring in the medical profession, more than 100 white coats were conferred on the future caregivers who represent the class of 2015.

Humility, compassion and personal responsibility were the foundational themes of the event as the doctors-to-be were encouraged to remain continually mindful of the well-being of their patients. 

“The secret to taking care of your patient is caring for your patient. The symbol of your caring for your patient is the white coat,” said Dr. Larry W. Laughlin, Dean, USUHS School of Medicine, as he spoke to the inherent urgency associated with the responsibility that awaits each of them.

Keynote speaker and USUHS alumnus Dr. Paul Pasquina offered insight into the world of the physician as gleaned through the lens of humility.   While suggesting that humility can be a great motivating factor, Pasquina asserts that servility is realized through day-to-day exposure to situations that defy explanation, horrific tragedies, amazing recoveries, and the irrepressible resilience of the human spirit.

Amid all the talk of accountability, integrity and altruism, Dr. Laughlin punctuated the ceremony with a quote by renowned physician Sir William Osler, stating, “The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which you will exercise your heart as often as you exercise your brain. You must above all else care for your patients.”

 View photos from the ceremony here.

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