White Coat ceremony

[docmd2010]

So tell me about your guys white coat experience-mine's in a couple months and i don't know what to expect. what happens there (other than getting ure wc obviously)? can u describe the overall experience? thanks!

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[Dr JPH]

Lots of people talking about your future and you just sit around and listen. Then you get your coat, people take pictures and you go about your day worry how to pass anatomy.

 

[fuegorama]

You should be warned that some portions of the ceremony are not for the squeamish.
I am still disturbed by the image of one of our school's patrons piercing his scrotum with a long needle then bleeding on some shredded bits of Sutherland's treatise. There was the usual burning of these artifacts in a skull and then the ceremonial biting the bottom lip of your OMM partner.

Otherwise mine was quasi-formal and much like JP said including the pass anatomy stress.

 

[Megalofyia]

I was disapointed in the severe lack of food and alcohol at the actual ceremony. I was much more pleased with the food and alcohol at dinner with my family.

Incidenty it takes washing your white coat several times a week in hot water and LOTS of fabric softener for 7 months before it no longer feels like a straight jacket.

Overview of day:

10:30 Wake up and wander over to neighbor's apartment to ask which shoes I should wear. The black ones with heals or the slightly more comfortable other black ones. Discuss how getting to the ceremony early is gonna be painful cause there's no a/c in the dinning hall we'll be waiting in pre- ceremony.

11:30 Go to hotel with siblings to meet up with parents to head to local high school. It was raining and that was the back up location for the ceremony.

12:10ish Mingle with classmates in highschool cafeteria. Figure out who will be standing beside me at graduation. Line up... get out of line to talk to friends... get told to get back in line... other people get out of line.. get told to get back in line... so apparently after 16+ years of schooling most people still can't follow directions.

12:30ish Walk into high school gym. Sit down. Wave to parents. Get embaressed at father who's decided to take pictures of every single one of my classmates on top of countless numbers of pictures from bad angles of me. Talk to girl next to me about the lack of alcohol and food.

Wait for my name to be called. Walk on stage. Recieve coat from someone I dont know. (I know her now and she's really cool. I do wish that MDs could have white coated us though cause then it would have been my dad)

1:30 Introduce parents to classmates.

2:00 go to lunch. Commence eating and drinking.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

It was a waste of time and severely overrated. I only got excited about it for my parents sake.

 

[docmd2010]

it seems like the general attitude of white coat is negative-boring and long. This seems to be the exact opposite of what i'm expecting. bummer

 

[APTX]

it seems like the general attitude of white coat is negative-boring and long. This seems to be the exact opposite of what i'm expecting. bummer

I think a part of it depends on when the white coat ceremony takes place. Some schools have their white coat ceremony during orientation, before you and your classmates have gotten much of a chance to know each other, so when your name is called and you walk the stage to get cloaked, you feel like you're in this alone. You get the white coat, congrats, you're in med school. My white coat ceremony took place over a month after school started (not sure why), which was fine by me. By then my class knew each other pretty well, and I liked watching everyone receive their white coats knowing that we were going down the same road together for the next four years. Of course...one downside was that we had gross anatomy shortly before the ceremony (with an hour or two in between to shower and change), and when we were all lined up in the auditorium with our white coats, there was still the faintest traces of cadaver in the air But hey, that made our ceremony all the more memorable

 

[Amy B]

Welll,maybe i am nerdy or something, but it was very special for me. The feeling of putting on that white coat for the first time gave me chills. I thought about how far I had come to achieve this and I felt proud.

I guess the day and your experience that day is whatever you make it to be. If you blow it off as a stupid waste of time, it wont be special. If you revell it your accomplishment and the distance you traveled to get to that white coat, it will be a whole different experience.

Enjoy and wear that coat proudly

 

[DO Sigma Nu guy]

I think a part of it depends on when the white coat ceremony takes place. Some schools have their white coat ceremony during orientation, before you and your classmates have gotten much of a chance to know each other, so when your name is called and you walk the stage to get cloaked, you feel like you're in this alone. You get the white coat, congrats, you're in med school. My white coat ceremony took place over a month after school started (not sure why), which was fine by me. By then my class knew each other pretty well, and I liked watching everyone receive their white coats knowing that we were going down the same road together for the next four years. Of course...one downside was that we had gross anatomy shortly before the ceremony (with an hour or two in between to shower and change), and when we were all lined up in the auditorium with our white coats, there was still the faintest traces of cadaver in the air But hey, that made our ceremony all the more memorable

I dont start med school for another few months, but PCOM is having our White Coat Ceremony in October!!!!! I dont get it. I figure it will be ok considering i'll know my classmates by then but damn I bet i'll have an exam sometime that week.

Oh well. Guess i'll have to wait and see.

 

[OSUdoc08]

So tell me about your guys white coat experience-mine's in a couple months and i don't know what to expect. what happens there (other than getting ure wc obviously)? can u describe the overall experience? thanks!

It's the same thing as a graduation, but you get a white coat instead of a diploma.

 

[Dr.BBasket]

I am starting MSUCOM this summer and our ceremony is June 30th. I agree, I will be excited because my family and friends will be excited and because it will make what I am going into more really-having that white coat on and all.

 

[Dr Trek 1]

LECOM doesn't do the white coat ceremony until the start of the second semester, which I personally think is a great idea. By then, you've actually done at least some of the "rite of passage" med school stuff.

 

[ImNoSuperman]

OU-COM has their coating about half-way through August. At OU we start in August with Anatomy Immersion, so we've had some medical school, but still get our coats before we have to do anything clinical.

 

[snowhite]

So tell me about your guys white coat experience-mine's in a couple months and i don't know what to expect. what happens there (other than getting ure wc obviously)? can u describe the overall experience? thanks!

You are going to love the KCUMB white coat ceremony. Let's see if I can sum up the night:
*Ceremony at the music Hall (which is huge!)
*Standing on the risers waiting for the final curtain to be drawn (is hot as hell)
*Big screen over the theater which spans those white coated
*Reception in the ballroom of either the Hilton or Mariott (I can't remember which)
*Ice Sculptures (!?!?! Where did they get that kind of money...oh yeah, tuition)
*String ensemble playing their bach or whatever fancy-smancy classical pieces in the lobby
*Wine, beer, and other various drinks (FREE, what have you! Many were found drunk that night)
*Jazz Band (also played swing and other fun songs - perfect for dancing)
*Hors Deuvers (spelling?) (which was really a fancy buffet-type dinner)
*Desserts as far as the eye can see
*Dancing on an actual DANCE FLOOR
*Flower arrangements in various places

The only thing that was missing was giving out wads of cash. They pretty much covered all the bases.

Seriously though, my family and I were completely surprised and not expecting anything even remotely spectacular. It was a fun time - enjoy it. You only get white-coated once.

 

[kansasdoc]

Hey Snowwhite~ Are you joking about KCUMB's white coat or is that really how it is...because that makes me think its a way bigger deal!!

 

[lilymoo]

During my interview at KCUMB, I was told that KCUMB has one of the best white coat ceremonies among the DO schools.

 

[snowhite]

Hey Snowwhite~ Are you joking about KCUMB's white coat or is that really how it is...because that makes me think its a way bigger deal!!

No, I wasn't kidding at all. That's exactly how it was. It felt more like a prom (minus the fancy dresses).

It's a blast. Bring as many people as allowed (I think 6)...it'll be fun.

 

[DaveinDallas]

So tell me about your guys white coat experience-mine's in a couple months and i don't know what to expect. what happens there (other than getting ure wc obviously)? can u describe the overall experience? thanks!

Bring your anatomy flash cards so you can study while it's going on.....seriously. It's more for the parents and significant others.
You hold you coat, walk across the stage when your name is
called, hand the coat to the physician, they put it on you,
shake your hand, and you walk off the stage. Maybe the head of the
state association is there to hand you a lapel pin and possible
some other gift. That's about it. The next time you see the coat is
on community observations or medical community service or
clinical medicine practical exams.

 

[Dr Trek 1]

Bring your anatomy flash cards so you can study while it's going on.....seriously. It's more for the parents and significant others.
You hold you coat, walk across the stage when your name is
called, hand the coat to the physician, they put it on you,
shake your hand, and you walk off the stage. Maybe the head of the
state association is there to hand you a lapel pin and possible
some other gift. That's about it. The next time you see the coat is
on community observations or medical community service or
clinical medicine practical exams.

Yet another good reason why LECOM does white coat after anatomy is over.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

The white coat ceremony is the one part of the first year of med school I am not looking forward to. I hate ceremonies; personally I'd rather be locked in a broom closet with a wolverine that is half starved while I'm wearing pork chop underwear. I actually got busted in rank while in the Air Force for not showing up to a ceremony to be given a medal I supposedly earned.

As for getting excited for my parents sake, they'll be lucky if I tell them I got accepted to medical school, let alone invited to anything.

 

[VCOMLover]

Yeah I'm a first year at VCOM and I must say that it was nice...and unbelieveably boring at the sametime. We have ours in Dec and start school in August...so basically they want to make sure not to waste the extra money on you to get the coat. But we had a few exams coming up the following week so all of us sat there and studied and smiled when our parents wanted to take a pic. I was sitting beside a 2nd year and our Immunology professor so they were helping me to study. But the after dinner with the fam and friends was great. it's just what you make of it.

 

[Sugar72]

Bring your anatomy flash cards so you can study while it's going on.....seriously. It's more for the parents and significant others.
You hold you coat, walk across the stage when your name is
called, hand the coat to the physician, they put it on you,
shake your hand, and you walk off the stage. Maybe the head of the
state association is there to hand you a lapel pin and possible
some other gift. That's about it. The next time you see the coat is
on community observations or medical community service or
clinical medicine practical exams.

That is so funny - I totally took my anatomy flashcards with me! AZCOM's is very informal. It is one of the lecture halls they had everyone stand up and recite the osteopathic oath of fealty (haha) then they called everyone up by name and you put on your coat shook some hands and filed off. They had a big cake. I ate 2 pieces of cake and then off to anatomy lab for me. I didn't have any relatives in the area and didn't really see any reason for them to pay to come visit for this.

 

[FutureNavyDOc]

That is so funny - I totally took my anatomy flashcards with me! AZCOM's is very informal. It is one of the lecture halls they had everyone stand up and recite the osteopathic oath of fealty (haha) then they called everyone up by name and you put on your coat shook some hands and filed off. They had a big cake. I ate 2 pieces of cake and then off to anatomy lab for me. I didn't have any relatives in the area and didn't really see any reason for them to pay to come visit for this.

I took biochem flashcards that I had made with me, DMU decided to have my whitecoat ceremony the weekend before a Monday Biochem exam. They did the same thing this year as well.

My wife is a 1st year in the PT program this year, so for my second white coat ceremony I brough pharm cards.
Being on the significant other side isn't any better, I guess it would have been better if I hadn't been through the whole thing 12 months prior, but still.

The part where you actually get your white coat is cool, but the waiting and the long winded talking sucks.

Starting with this past fall DMU does the DO (220 students), DPM(50), DPT(40) and PA(40) programs all on the same day at the same place. Of course each program has at least 2 speakers plus the president of DMU and various other people making speeches add that to 350 names being called and the fact that you have to be there early to line up so everyone sits in the right spots and you have one super long ceremony that just ends with everyone tired and sweaty.

My advice, bring bottled water and flashcards to study. No matter how cool it seems and how excited you are for it, it will run long and having flashcards makes you feel like you're not totally wasting the day.

 

[docmd2010]

You are going to love the KCUMB white coat ceremony. Let's see if I can sum up the night:
*Ceremony at the music Hall (which is huge!)
*Standing on the risers waiting for the final curtain to be drawn (is hot as hell)
*Big screen over the theater which spans those white coated
*Reception in the ballroom of either the Hilton or Mariott (I can't remember which)
*Ice Sculptures (!?!?! Where did they get that kind of money...oh yeah, tuition)
*String ensemble playing their bach or whatever fancy-smancy classical pieces in the lobby
*Wine, beer, and other various drinks (FREE, what have you! Many were found drunk that night)
*Jazz Band (also played swing and other fun songs - perfect for dancing)
*Hors Deuvers (spelling?) (which was really a fancy buffet-type dinner)
*Desserts as far as the eye can see
*Dancing on an actual DANCE FLOOR
*Flower arrangements in various places

The only thing that was missing was giving out wads of cash. They pretty much covered all the bases.

Seriously though, my family and I were completely surprised and not expecting anything even remotely spectacular. It was a fun time - enjoy it. You only get white-coated once.

wow that sounds really cool. I personally can't wait for it. I can understand how some people would find this ceremony boring, but I am one that would love and cherish it-for it is something that I've worked so hard for. I think it'll be a very emotional evening for my family too.

 

[Sugar72]

wow that sounds really cool. I personally can't wait for it. I can understand how some people would find this ceremony boring, but I am one that would love and cherish it-for it is something that I've worked so hard for. I think it'll be a very emotional evening for my family too.

I think a lot of people really cherish these types of celebrations. I do not mean in any way to belittle them for anyone else. I am not the type of person that likes pomp and circumstance. I am not even that excited about graduation in 2 weeks and I think that is starting to infuriate my family because it really has been a tough 4 years for everyone. So take lots of pictures and have a great time.