Hooding Ceremony

[THE instiGATOR]

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I've heard of schools that will only allow MDs or DOs to hood their graduates (parents must hold one of these degrees to participate). My school does not have such a rule, and parents are allowed to hood with or without an MD/DO. Is this typical? Being the first person in my family to earn a professional degree, I am very curious about this ceremony.

 

[angel80]

We're allowed to chose whoever we want to hood us, regardless of whether or not they have a degree. My friend graduated with her PharmD, and had to be hooded by her professors.

 

[TracksuitsRock]

WHat is hooding? It sounds so creepy. And when does it happen?

 

[DW3843]

WHat is hooding? It sounds so creepy. And when does it happen?

sounds like it happens at night, deep in the woods, somewhere in Mississippi, with a gigantic flaming cross in the background

 

[QofQuimica]

sounds like it happens at night, deep in the woods, somewhere in Mississippi, with a gigantic flaming cross in the background

No, it's not nearly that dramatic. Basically, when you graduate with a doctorate of any kind, your degree is conferred upon you by someone putting a hood on you rather than by you moving the tassel of your mortarboard like you do for a bachelor's degree. For a Ph.D., it is usually your major professor who hoods you. The hood is not really a hood at all; it actually drapes over your shoulders. You can't wear a hood on your head, b/c you are wearing a tam or mortarboard. (We use tams at my school, which are these soft hats that look like really dorky little berets.)

OP, I haven't earned my MD yet, so I don't know what the usual custom is as far as who will hood you. I think that if your school allows your parents to do it, and you want them to do it, then you should go for it. 🙂

 

[QofQuimica]

Here is a picture of someone getting hooded: