White Coat Ceremony

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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flipflopper

flipflopper

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I was wondering the importance of this ceremony when it comes to vet school. I went to my boyfriends white coat ceremony for med school last August and it seemed like a pretty big deal. EVERYONE's parents were there, faculty made a huge deal about it, it just seemed like a very important milestone almost similar to how important graduation would be in 4 years.

Is this also the case with vet med? Do most parents also attend our white coat ceremony? Do vet schools make a big deal out of this occasion as well? i know most schools also have a "ceremony" but is it treated as a big milestone as well? Any thoughts?
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Well technically Miss state doesn't really have a white coat ceremony...it is blue. Anyway, this year at the ceremony the entire auditorium was filled with friends, family, students, and faculty. They called us each down to the front of the room and placed the coat on us. Afterwards, all the newly coated vet students got on stage and said the vet student's oath. It seemed like a pretty big deal to me. After that we had a little reception with punch and cookies.
 
It's a big deal at Oregon...there is a dinner where family is invited and then there are several speakers, then each student is presented with a coat and a stethoscope (a give from the OVMA).
 
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I'm really curious to hear about Davis' ceremony specifically. Sadly I won't have any friends or family in attendance, and I'm worried I'll be the only lonely student there 😳
 
You'll have all your classmates there to cheer you on, MooseNanny!
 
Moosenanny, I might be in the same situation.. I'm sure it'll be fine!
 
You can see the UC Davis 2008 white coat ceremony here: http://vimeo.com/1845586

I personally really loved the ceremony. I felt proud of myself, which I don't allow very often, and I felt extremely proud to be doing this journey at UC Davis. I actually got teary eyed during it, but that's because I'm a huge sap and older, and never ever believed my dreams would come true.

Don't worry if you won't have family there. You won't be the only one, and by that time you will have made friends throughout orientation who will be there with you. 🙂
 
Some schools have the white coat ceremony at the end of core - iow, you don't get your doctor coat 🙂 until you're done with the classroom and on to the hospitals, so their white coat ceremony is third year.
 
Missouri has their white coat ceremony in October of your third year, as you enter your 2 years of clinical rotations.
 
Thanks for the Davis love guys! I just hope I can convince someone's family to snap a picture or two of me so that I can email something to my parents, grandparents, friends, etc. I haven't gotten the chance to watch that video you posted, jj, but I will when I get back from work. Thanks!
 
moosenanny said:
I just hope I can convince someone's family to snap a picture or two of me so that I can email something to my parents, grandparents, friends, etc.
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They hire a professional photographer that takes a picture of you in your white coat shaking hands with Dean Osborn. Then they send you the proofs and you can order prints if you wish. Of course, it's cheaper if a friend and take a picture, but just in case.
 
Nyanko, how generous of you to extend your family to us!! I might have to take you up on that offer unless plans change😀
 
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Yes, thank you Nyan! I hope they record our White Coat Ceremony this year too (like the link shared of 2008's), because that would be awesome to send to my family!!!
 
Hey guys! I know it's perhaps a bit early to be asking about this, but I have a question about white coat ceremony etiquette. Here's my situation: I would love to have my current boss (I've worked for him for 6 years, he is a mentor and wrote one of my LOR's) attend my white coat ceremony to be my "coater" in August. I've calculated that between airfare and hotel, the trip will cost upwards of $1000 for him to attend though. While I know he'd be thrilled to attend, I feel bad asking him to shell out that kind of cash, but I also am not sure I can afford the cost of bringing him out. Should I suck it up (somehow) and pay? Should I invite him and not mention anything about the cost (meaning he would pay his own way)? Should I not invite him at all so he won't feel pressured to pay for he trip himself? Does anyone have any input or advice? Thank you!
 
calvin89 said:
Hey guys! I know it's perhaps a bit early to be asking about this, but I have a question about white coat ceremony etiquette. Here's my situation: I would love to have my current boss (I've worked for him for 6 years, he is a mentor and wrote one of my LOR's) attend my white coat ceremony to be my "coater" in August. I've calculated that between airfare and hotel, the trip will cost upwards of $1000 for him to attend though. While I know he'd be thrilled to attend, I feel bad asking him to shell out that kind of cash, but I also am not sure I can afford the cost of bringing him out. Should I suck it up (somehow) and pay? Should I invite him and not mention anything about the cost (meaning he would pay his own way)? Should I not invite him at all so he won't feel pressured to pay for he trip himself? Does anyone have any input or advice? Thank you!
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I don't really know the answer, because in part it really depends on the relationship you have with your boss.

But I do know what I tend to default to when I'm in dicey, questionable etiquette moments: blunt honesty. If nobody else has a brilliant answer (somebody probably will) and it were me, I'd just say "Boss dude, I really would like you to be my coater. It sucks that it's so far away and an expensive trip. I'd like to ask you, but I feel bad putting the burden of that cost on you." Basically, it gives him a tactful way to answer no matter what he wants to do: he can say "Oh don't sweat the cost, I'm coming no matter what" or he can say "Yeah, I really would like to be there, I wish it weren't so far away!" Giving people the opportunity to turn you down without feeling awkward or guilty is often a good way to go.

So anyway. Hopefully someone else has a better answer.

We didn't get to pick our "coaters". It was a variety of faculty and staff that tended to be more involved in the curriculum. (And, our white coats came before clinicals, not at the start of vet school.)
 
LetItSnow said:
I don't really know the answer, because in part it really depends on the relationship you have with your boss.

But I do know what I tend to default to when I'm in dicey, questionable etiquette moments: blunt honesty. If nobody else has a brilliant answer (somebody probably will) and it were me, I'd just say "Boss dude, I really would like you to be my coater. It sucks that it's so far away and an expensive trip. I'd like to ask you, but I feel bad putting the burden of that cost on you." Basically, it gives him a tactful way to answer no matter what he wants to do: he can say "Oh don't sweat the cost, I'm coming no matter what" or he can say "Yeah, I really would like to be there, I wish it weren't so far away!" Giving people the opportunity to turn you down without feeling awkward or guilty is often a good way to go.

So anyway. Hopefully someone else has a better answer.

We didn't get to pick our "coaters". It was a variety of faculty and staff that tended to be more involved in the curriculum. (And, our white coats came before clinicals, not at the start of vet school.)
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i really like this answer - i think it gives both parties a chance to lay out their feelings without too much awkwardness
 
LetItSnow said:
I don't really know the answer, because in part it really depends on the relationship you have with your boss.

But I do know what I tend to default to when I'm in dicey, questionable etiquette moments: blunt honesty. If nobody else has a brilliant answer (somebody probably will) and it were me, I'd just say "Boss dude, I really would like you to be my coater. It sucks that it's so far away and an expensive trip. I'd like to ask you, but I feel bad putting the burden of that cost on you." Basically, it gives him a tactful way to answer no matter what he wants to do: he can say "Oh don't sweat the cost, I'm coming no matter what" or he can say "Yeah, I really would like to be there, I wish it weren't so far away!" Giving people the opportunity to turn you down without feeling awkward or guilty is often a good way to go.

So anyway. Hopefully someone else has a better answer.

We didn't get to pick our "coaters". It was a variety of faculty and staff that tended to be more involved in the curriculum. (And, our white coats came before clinicals, not at the start of vet school.)
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To the OP: I was in this very situation when I began vet school last year. One of my primary mentors lived several states away, in the Northeast. I did exactly as LIS stated. I contacted him, told him that I'd love to have him present at my ceremony (he already knows the major impact he had on my career and development, so I didn't need to restate that), and asked him if he'd like to attend. I mentioned that I couldn't afford to fly him out, but that his presence would mean a lot to me.

This individual works for an international corporation. He responded that he was flattered, and would do his best to schedule a business trip to the Raleigh area to coincide with my coating ceremony (one of the company's branches is located in Raleigh). Unfortunately, this didn't work out. He expressed his apologies and disappointment in not being able to be present for this important milestone.

That being the case, I contacted my adviser at NCSU (the Director of Lab Animal medicine), and asked if he would serve as a surrogate for my mentor. Those two run in the same professional circle, and he happily obliged. At the ceremony, they mentioned both my mentor's name and my new adviser's name. It was pretty cool, and worked out just fine.

My Mom was also in attendance. She took affront to my not choosing her as my coater. Something to keep in mind if you have family/friends attending.

Good luck! Enjoy the ceremony. I have the bulletin from the ceremony tacked up next to my calendar. The Oath of Geneva is printed on the card, and I refer to it often when things get challenging in school. Congrats on your acceptance!
 
Lab Vet said:
To the OP: I was in this very situation when I began vet school last year. One of my primary mentors lived several states away, in the Northeast. I did exactly as LIS stated. I contacted him, told him that I'd love to have him present at my ceremony (he already knows the major impact he had on my career and development, so I didn't need to restate that), and asked him if he'd like to attend. I mentioned that I couldn't afford to fly him out, but that his presence would mean a lot to me.

This individual works for an international corporation. He responded that he was flattered, and would do his best to schedule a business trip to the Raleigh area to coincide with my coating ceremony (one of the company's branches is located in Raleigh). Unfortunately, this didn't work out. He expressed his apologies and disappointment in not being able to be present for this important milestone.

That being the case, I contacted my adviser at NCSU (the Director of Lab Animal medicine), and asked if he would serve as a surrogate for my mentor. Those two run in the same professional circle, and he happily obliged. At the ceremony, they mentioned both my mentor's name and my new adviser's name. It was pretty cool, and worked out just fine.

My Mom was also in attendance. She took affront to my not choosing her as my coater. Something to keep in mind if you have family/friends attending.

Good luck! Enjoy the ceremony. I have the bulletin from the ceremony tacked up next to my calendar. The Oath of Geneva is printed on the card, and I refer to it often when things get challenging in school. Congrats on your acceptance!
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is your mom a vet? or were you allowed to have non-dvm coaters?
 
jmo1012 said:
is your mom a vet? or were you allowed to have non-dvm coaters?
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Hi jmo,

No, Mom's not a vet. We were allowed to choose anyone we wanted to coat us. She was upset that I didn't choose her to coat me, given my parents' combined (my father is deceased) influence on every aspect of my life, including career success. At the time, it was important to me to have a clinician coat me, given that I was entering into the profession. Something about having one of my career mentors coat me brought the experience full circle...passing the baton, so to speak. In retrospect, I hurt her. That was not my intent and I regret it. Of course my parents had a profound influence on me making it to vet school- I wouldn't be who I am as an adult without them. I tried to explain my reasoning to her, but it only drove the stake further through her heart.
 
Lab Vet said:
Hi jmo,

No, Mom's not a vet. We were allowed to choose anyone we wanted to coat us. She was upset that I didn't choose her to coat me, given my parents' combined (my father is deceased) influence on every aspect of my life, including career success. At the time, it was important to me to have a clinician coat me, given that I was entering into the profession. Something about having one of my career mentors coat me brought the experience full circle...passing the baton, so to speak. In retrospect, I hurt her. That was not my intent and I regret it. Of course my parents had a profound influence on me making it to vet school- I wouldn't be who I am as an adult without them. I tried to explain my reasoning to her, but it only drove the stake further through her heart.
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i was just curious because our coater had to be a dvm (same for graduation hooding) 🙂 its fun to hear how differnet schools do different things
 
jmo1012 said:
is your mom a vet? or were you allowed to have non-dvm coaters?
Click to expand...
You're required to have a DVM coat you? I don't know how I'd feel about that. For Blue Coat I picked my riding coach and for White Coat I'm planning on my mom. I saw a video of AVC 2013 or 2014 of one of the graduates being coated by his young child ( with help from his wife) which was adorable.
 
Does anyone know how VMCVM does this? Do they do it, or do you get to pick someone?
 
Lab Vet said:
Hi jmo,

No, Mom's not a vet. We were allowed to choose anyone we wanted to coat us. She was upset that I didn't choose her to coat me, given my parents' combined (my father is deceased) influence on every aspect of my life, including career success. At the time, it was important to me to have a clinician coat me, given that I was entering into the profession. Something about having one of my career mentors coat me brought the experience full circle...passing the baton, so to speak. In retrospect, I hurt her. That was not my intent and I regret it. Of course my parents had a profound influence on me making it to vet school- I wouldn't be who I am as an adult without them. I tried to explain my reasoning to her, but it only drove the stake further through her heart.
Click to expand...

I've always tried to compartmentalize stuff so that people don't get offended. Career milestones = colleagues. Family milestones = family. Family stuff can get complicated enough as it is.
 
Lab Vet said:
Hi jmo,

No, Mom's not a vet. We were allowed to choose anyone we wanted to coat us. She was upset that I didn't choose her to coat me, given my parents' combined (my father is deceased) influence on every aspect of my life, including career success. At the time, it was important to me to have a clinician coat me, given that I was entering into the profession. Something about having one of my career mentors coat me brought the experience full circle...passing the baton, so to speak. In retrospect, I hurt her. That was not my intent and I regret it. Of course my parents had a profound influence on me making it to vet school- I wouldn't be who I am as an adult without them. I tried to explain my reasoning to her, but it only drove the stake further through her heart.
Click to expand...

I think my mother was also a bit bummed that I didn't pick her. I honestly didn't even think twice about it... didn't consider family to be the right person to present a coat! I was pretty surprised with the number of my classmates who were coated by family members.
 
Coquette22 said:
You're required to have a DVM coat you? I don't know how I'd feel about that. For Blue Coat I picked my riding coach and for White Coat I'm planning on my mom. I saw a video of AVC 2013 or 2014 of one of the graduates being coated by his young child ( with help from his wife) which was adorable.
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for us, its a symbol of entering the profession, so they have a member of the profession "welcome" you in. its probably also in part because it would be difficult for most people to get someone to the island for the ceremony, so this is their way of making everyone included
 
We are also required to have a DVM coat us.
 
The provincial and federal vet med associations handed us a coat, a stethoscope, shook our hand and we had our pic taken. There wasn't any coating. We had to put it on for the oath later.

I think I'm grateful for not having to find or choose someone.
 
Thank you all for your responses so far! I love the idea of blunt honesty and am glad you all think it's appropriate to just be honest and see what he says. Thanks again!
 
We can have anyone coat us - It will either be my husband or my dad, havent decided yet. I know it would mean the world to my dad but IDK... Decisions, Decisions... got until October to figure it out!... Then We are hooded by faculty at graduation.
 
I didn't have a coating ceremony. I'd have a really hard time picking someone because I'm super close to all of my family and I have a few mentors. I would feel like I would have made someone sad by having to choose one person.
 
Huh. I didn't know a blue coat ceremony was a thing. We just have white coat after 3rd year. Never thought of picking someone to coat you either...dunno how they do it here
 
We were coated with a blue coat at orientation which family members attended, but we then used those coats for anatomy and they got really disgusting. They smelled terrible. We were coated by a faculty member. I am honestly not sure if we get white coats. We definitely don't get them going into senior year, but we do get an embroidered (with your name) clinic smock to wear in the hospital.
 
NStarz said:
We are also required to have a DVM coat us.
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NStarz, does Ohio do a white coat ceremony? Is it before we start? Or 3rd year like a couple other people said their schools do?
Also was it a big deal? Families and friends? 🙂
 
Hollista said:
NStarz, does Ohio do a white coat ceremony? Is it before we start? Or 3rd year like a couple other people said their schools do?
Also was it a big deal? Families and friends? 🙂
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Hello, I know you quoted Nstarz, but I wanted to help answer part of your question.

I know that you are coated at the end of your third year preceding clinical. I'm going to assume its a big deal, but not sure to what extent.
 
I really like having a blue coat for school and then getting our white coat when we're tossed into the deep end of the real world. My now-husband coated me and he'll coat me again for white coat. I understand the idea of having a mentor or DVM do so, but my husband has been such a huge support for a big part of my life - from applying through the long distance to graduation - that he's the one common theme to my veterinary career. I want him to coat me because it signifies that we've earned this together 🙂
 
Hollista said:
NStarz, does Ohio do a white coat ceremony? Is it before we start? Or 3rd year like a couple other people said their schools do?
Also was it a big deal? Families and friends? 🙂
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Yes, OSU has a white coat ceremony--it's the day before clinics start. Definitely a big deal--family and friends are invited to come.
 
NStarz said:
Yes, OSU has a white coat ceremony--it's the day before clinics start. Definitely a big deal--family and friends are invited to come.
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Thanks! And thanks @tollersrule too!! So no "blue coat" ceremony or anything before 1st year? Just orientation?
 
Oklahoma State has two ceremonies - one for entering first-year students, and one for students entering clinics. They're big deals for family. The first-year coats are just basic lab coats, but the clinic one has an OVMA patch and (I think) the student's name. I'm saving my first-year coat to get the patches and wear it for fourth year.
 
Zensing said:
Oklahoma State has two ceremonies - one for entering first-year students, and one for students entering clinics. They're big deals for family. The first-year coats are just basic lab coats, but the clinic one has an OVMA patch and (I think) the student's name. I'm saving my first-year coat to get the patches and wear it for fourth year.
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Huh. I like that solution. I've never been a fan of the "white coat at matriculation" thing that some schools do. I know, I know, we've all been over it and we all have opinions and I'm not dissin' on those of you that like it -- I just think that White Coat when you switch more to full-time clinics marks an important transition and is more meaningful. Also like what NStarz describes for Ohio.
 
We wear the coats through 4th year. They have your name embroidered, as well as a school patch and an OVMA patch. I have two that I'm not entirely sure what to do with ... I could add 'DVM' and keep wearing them, but I dunno.
 
Frozenshades said:
Huh. I didn't know a blue coat ceremony was a thing. We just have white coat after 3rd year. Never thought of picking someone to coat you either...dunno how they do it here
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Considering the fact that no one in my family would attend, I'm glad to hear that there's no big ceremony for entering students at KSU.
 
Country_roads said:
Considering the fact that no one in my family would attend, I'm glad to hear that there's no big ceremony for entering students at KSU.
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Nah. Parents are invited to orientation and there are some events for everyone and some just for family while the new students are doing their thing, but it's not a huge deal. Plenty of people don't have any family come to that (I didn't). White coat is a bigger deal.
 
Anyone know how it works at Michigan State?
 
Anyone else out there really dislike these type of things?

I know I'm going to have to suck it up and attend but I saw a past recording of the Blue Coat at my goal school and it just made me groan in despair
 
Dat Ass said:
Anyone else out there really dislike these type of things?

I know I'm going to have to suck it up and attend but I saw a past recording of the Blue Coat at my goal school and it just made me groan in despair
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Er, why? I mean you're free to react however you want, I just don't understand "despair".
 
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