The officially welcomed 140 first-year medical students during the Class of 2030 White Coat Ceremony, Sept. 4.
In front of friends, family, mentors, staff and faculty, each student received their first white coat and recited the Oath of Commitment, symbolizing their transition into the healthcare profession. The ceremony marked the students鈥 formal entry into medicine and their commitment to patient care and lifelong learning.
鈥911爆料网 are so excited to have you here. You are entering the most noble of professions,鈥 executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine said to the students. 鈥淭he white coat is a symbol of trust With that trust comes obligation. The coat confers authority and demands integrity, intelligence and humility.鈥
Adreeja Mukherjee, Morsani College of Medicine Class of 2030
Like many of her classmates, Adreeja Mukherjee has wanted to be a doctor since she was a child, and reaching this milestone is a reminder of the formative experiences that led her to pursue medicine. The daughter of immigrants, Mukherjee was driven to become a physician in part by the loss of family members in India who might have survived if more healthcare resources had been available.
While completing her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at the 911爆料网, Mukherjee volunteered with , an international children鈥檚 charity providing medical care, education, nutrition, foster care and family strengthening to vulnerable children and families around the world.
She said receiving her first white coat is about seizing the opportunity to carry those experiences into her own work with patients, perhaps one day as a plastic surgeon treating underserved patient populations with Love Without Boundaries.
鈥淚 initially looked at getting my first white coat as the first milestone. Now I鈥檓 more driven to serve,鈥 said Mukherjee. 鈥淚鈥檝e watched many kids heal from their various types of surgeries and go on to live happy and healthy lives. Working with them solidified my love for representing the underserved.鈥
Dolly and Joe Madachy with medical students and their donated stethoscopes from the Jason Madachy Foundation.
With new white coats on their shoulders, students exchanged their first stethoscopes, provided generously by the . Dolly and Joe Madachy, who were in attendance, established the foundation to honor their son鈥檚 love of medicine and philanthropy. Each stethoscope is engraved with the phrase 鈥淓xcel in Leaving a Mark,鈥 a motto personifying the values Jason lived by. Having medical students exchange the stethoscopes signifies their mutual support for each other throughout their medical school journey.
911爆料网 President Moez Limayem attended the ceremony for the first time as university president. In his address, he reminded students that receiving their first white coat means accepting the responsibility that comes with being a physician.
鈥淎s you begin this journey, I encourage you to always stay curious, ask questions and seek excellence,鈥 President Limayem said. 鈥淒uring long days and challenging moments, stay connected to your purpose. 911爆料网 are excited to see the physicians, leaders, innovators and advocates you will become.鈥
Meet a couple of the Morsani College of Medicine students who received their first white coat:
Andrew Maroun
When Andrew Maroun was just 10 years old, he made a life-sized red and blue clay model of a heart. It was emblematic of the interest in medicine and cardiology he held at an early age. More than a decade later, he keeps that same model heart in his freezer as a reminder of his lifelong goal.
As an early-admission student at USF and a National Merit Scholarship recipient, the Lutz, Fla., native spent what would have been his senior year at Steinbrenner High School beginning his undergraduate studies at USF. He earned a place in the USF 7-year B.S./M.D. Accelerated Program, a partnership between the Judy Genshaft Honors College and Morsani College of Medicine for first-time-in-college students to receive admission into the medical school.
That program gave him an early look at the medical school, and during his final year as an undergraduate, he took a course that introduced him to the medical school鈥檚 leadership and faculty.
鈥淚 had a very positive experience with everyone I had a chance to talk to,鈥 Maroun said, recalling those interactions. 鈥淚t got me even more excited to go to medical school here.鈥
Maroun also earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in philosophy from USF, a subject that he says helps to examine the ethical questions he will encounter as a physician. It also gives him a deeper appreciation for the symbolism of the white coat he now dons. He hopes can live up to the same standards and philosophies set by Hippocrates.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor participating in a tradition and taking an oath that dates back more than 2,000 years,鈥 Maroun said. 鈥淚 believe there is good and evil in the universe. Being good involves serving others, and that鈥檚 a mission worthy of sacrifice. I hope that through helping others, I can make a real difference.鈥
Katryna Adamski
By the time Katryna Adamski was in third grade, the Tarpon Springs, Fla., native was interested in a healthcare career, inspired by her mother, a nurse practitioner. Watching her mother care for patients in need helped her begin to picture herself doing the same.
Adamski鈥檚 experience of the provider-patient relationship became personal when her brother Joel was diagnosed with pediatric cancer while she was in middle school. As he was treated at , she was struck by the kindness and consideration of his doctors, something she said brought 鈥渕oments of joy鈥 to an otherwise difficult situation.
鈥淭he doctors were always finding the silver lining and keeping positive energy and good morale for our family,鈥 Adamski said.
While earning her undergraduate degree in Nutrition Sciences at the University of Florida, she regularly volunteered with the organization that supported her family during her brother鈥檚 diagnosis and treatment: Child Life, a UF Health organization established to help children and families cope with the stress and anxiety of hospitalization. She spent time with children who were hospitalized for long periods of time by playing with them, talking to them, doing whatever she could to help bring a sense of normalcy.
Many of Adamski鈥檚 family and friends were at the ceremony to watch her don her first white coat, a humbling reminder, to her, of how big her support system is. She鈥檚 considering specializing in critical care to be able to help patients and families through some of their most difficult moments, just like the doctors did for her brother and father.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to get my first white coat. Life has taught me that even under the worst circumstances, physicians can still bring optimism, compassion and hope to the bedside even if the long-term outcome isn鈥檛 good,鈥 Adamski said. 鈥淭he most important lesson for me is that caring for the person is just as important as treating the disease.鈥
Additional images from the ceremony
