The OUWB Class of 2028 White Coat Ceremony was held Friday — a day full of excitement that centered on welcoming 129 new future physicians to the field of medicine.

The ceremony was held on the campus of Oakland University and attended by nearly 1,000 in person and online.

Several dignitaries from OUWB, Oakland University, and Corewell Health welcomed the new medical students who capped off a full week of orientation. They were Christopher Carpenter, M.D., Stephan Sharf Dean; Abhinav Krishnan, Ph.D., associate dean, Medical School Admissions and Enrollment Management; Jay Fisher, M.D., president, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital; and Berkley Browne, Ph.D., associate dean, Student Affairs; and Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., president, Oakland University.

“Let the journey begin,” Carpenter said at the end of the ceremony to the sound of cheers.

They were the kind of words and inspiration the future physicians said they have worked hard for a long time to hear.

Riya Gupta said crossing the stage to get her white coat felt “surreal.”

“It felt like the mark of the start of a really incredible journey, and the end of pre-med and all of the hard work that we put in so far to get here” she said.

Nooraldin Kamalaldin shared similar feelings as he celebrated with his family.

“I’m very happy and glad to be here,” he said. “If you told me a year ago that I’d be standing here, I would not believe it to be honest.”

He added that he was very appreciative of the school going “above and beyond to be very welcoming.”

Brett Winter said getting his white coat felt like “a big payoff.”

“Everyone’s been working for this for years and it’s a culmination of all that work,” he said.

Winter said his favorite moment happened off-stage.

“My favorite moment was when we were recognized as a class,” he said. “I looked around and saw the group as a whole and realized that in four years we’re all going to be the same class and still together.”

Kit Crum said “it felt so good and it was so nice to have all of the families there.”

“It was really exciting when everyone cheered for each other,” she added.

Crum said one moment stood out as particularly impactful.

“My favorite moment was when I took those first few steps up the stairs to get my white coat and realized that everything was real,” she said.

‘A rite of passage’

Pescovitz delivered the first speech of the day.

“Welcome to a rite of passage in your journey in your medical career which, we are so proud to say, begins at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine,” said Pescovitz.

“At the heart of your journey is a dedication to heal and serve,” she added. “You enter medical school at a time when your service, talent and humanity are needed more than ever.”

She urged students to “make the world a better place.”

Krishnan also welcomed the class and provided details about the class’s diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences — including the more than 108,000 hours of service the class has collectively provided to local communities, schools, and abroad

“Each and every one of you deserves to be here,” he said. “You are all unique individuals distinguished by the (American Association of Medical Colleges’) core competencies such as communication, altruism, leadership, integrity, and more.”

“That is why you are here,” he added.

Fisher welcomed the students to the OUWB/Corewell Health family, and spent much of his time urging students to always remember to take care of themselves — and their classmates.

“Look around you,” he said. “These are your people. This is your community. These are the people that you are going to depend on over the next four years.”

“These are the people that you need to make an effort to take care of, to check in on and ask how they’re doing,” he said. “Not just as a rhetorical question, but as a meaningful query to make sure your community is taken care of.”

Shreya Desai, M2, and current president, Medical Student Government, was the student speaker. She welcomed the class, provided examples of the many different educational activities they will participate in, and offered words of advice.

“Everyone will always tell you to remind yourself that you belong here,” she said. “But in the moment, it can be hard to remember.”

Desai recounted struggling with a test and how she was able to get through it with the help of others.

“My friends helped quiz me, faculty spent extra office hours with me, and my family cooked for me every night, no matter how late I got home,” she said. “My support reminded me that I am still meant to be here.”

Carpenter provided the day’s keynote, and it was all about the class looking ahead.

“Today is your turn to start your medical school journey,” he said. “And believe me, it’s a life-changing one.”

He highlighted many of the things the students soon will be doing, from learning in the school’s anatomy lab to the experiences they will have in clerkships and how they will learn to care for patients. Carpenter, who was appointed Stephan Sharf Dean in July, also emphasized the importance of kindness and compassion, before leading the class in reciting the Oath of Geneva.

“Class of 2028, I want you to know that I am as excited as you are about being here,” he said. “In my first full year as dean, I am determined to make this an inspiring year to remember for you and for all of us at OUWB.”

‘A dream come true’

The importance of support from others seemed to be one of the day’s themes and there was plenty of it from loved ones of students in the audience.

As they waited for their students to return from a class photo, a general feeling of pride resonated among them.

Michael and Judy Dones (and their son, Jason Dones) travelled from Texas to watch their daughter, Lauren Dones, receive her white coat.

“It’s a dream come true for her and we are super proud,” said Michael Dones. “It’s clear that there’s so much thought that OUWB puts into not only academics, but the whole person…their emotional well-being and support. Everybody seems really authentic and genuine and that really impressed me.”

Marsha Kragg said she became “teary” watching her son, Kyle Kragg, cross the stage.

“We’re very proud,” she said. “It’s been a long journey and he has a long journey ahead of him, but he was able to achieve the beginning of his dream. I’m ecstatic that he has this opportunity.”

Lucy Spera’s mother, Amy Spera, came from Cincinnati and summed up the day.

“It felt like a culmination of all their hard work,” she said. “It was really great to take a moment and celebrate.”

For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at [email protected].

To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.

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