Rowan University Holds 'White Coat' Ceremony To Welcome New Class Of Medical Students
By Kristen Johanson
NEW JERSEY (CBS) -- A white coat ceremony was held for Osteopathic Medical students at Rowan University, in South Jersey Sunday.
It's the moment medical students, like Melanie Beck, wait for, to wear the symbolic white coat as she takes her first steps into medical school.
"It's been so surreal and perfect," said Beck.
The annual ceremony for students comes at a time when there is a shortage of doctors nationwide, according to Dr. Tom Cavalieri Dean of the Medical School. He said this is the largest Osteopathic class entering Rowan.
"The goal here is at the end, that we produce a generation of physicians that are caring, compassionate, skillful and culturally competent," Cavalieri said. "And bring integrity to the clinical practice of medicine."
Cavalieri said the white coat is symbolic of their training ahead.
"We try to begin the first day of medical school with a white coat ceremony because it stresses to the students the importance of humanism in medicine," Cavalieri said.
Student Karl Swanson understands the significance of the journey, and is hopeful for the future.
"It's amazing," Swanson said. "It's a lot of years of hard work kind of culminated into one event."
