Described as the most important day for medical students save commencement itself, 102 University of Utah School of Medicine freshmen were presented Friday with their first white coats, marking the beginning of their medical education.
"Four years from now in this same great hall you will see families looking on proudly as they are now — you will gather to celebrate the successful completion of the contract you enter into today," said Dr. A. Lorris Betz, senior vice president for health sciences, during the "white coat" ceremony. "You will have done your job, the faculty will have done their jobs, and society will begin to reap the benefits of your collective hard work."
The ceremony asserted the importance of the doctor-patient relationship, emphasizing the conviction that physicians must not only be expert scientists but individuals with a strong concern for human welfare, values and dignity. Such ceremonies have become tradition in many medical schools nationwide.
Dr. Kristen Ries, president of the medical staff of U.'s hospitals and clinics and chairwoman of the University's Health Sciences Center Ethics Committee, delivered a keynote address discussing the need for humanistic medicine.
Ries, who has been honored locally and nationally for her work as a physician advocate for AIDS patients, said that this is a time when many physicians burn out at a young age. She urged the students not to let this happen.
"Use all of your gifts — commit to the art of medicine as well as the science of medicine," Ries said. "You must be collegial and depend on each other to help you through."
Every medical student was presented and walked across the stage to be cloaked with their first white coats. They then recited the Hippocratic Oath, pledging to consecrate their lives to the service of humanity, maintain the honor and noble traditions of the medical profession and maintain the utmost respect for human life.
Lisa Ryujin, a freshman medical student from California, said the atmosphere for a medical student is similar to that of a family.
"Everybody is really supportive," said Ryujin, 23. "It is not the same competitive atmosphere that we had as undergrads."
She said that the ceremony reminded her of the people who stand behind the students offering the support they need to become good physicians.
This year's class was selected from 1,117 applicants and includes 44 women and 14 minority students, including eight from groups recognized by the Association of American Medical Colleges as underrepresented in the health profession.
E-mail: terickson@desnews.com