I go to UMSL. We get our white coats the May of our 2nd year. Our white coats are received when we have passed a comprehensive exam on all the basis clinical skills of optometry. My school calls this the Clinical Privileging Exam. Contrary to getting it in the first year, when we receive it we are ready to do anything in the clinic that we may encounter with a patient. Prior to the white coat, we are practicing all skills on our fellow classmates in pre- clinic and can bring in friends/family/significant others as well to practice on. In the second year we begin shadowing in the clinic, performing screenings at schools, etc.