Thank you for inviting me to this special occasion, the virtual gathering that, for now, is a substitute for the White Coat Ceremony.
The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for first- year medical students, and a tradition that evokes the mission at the heart of the journey to become a physician dedicated to healing and serving.
There can be no underestimating the significance and symbolism of this first step you take into the calling of healthcare.
Some of you have mentors, maybe family members in the medical profession. For others, you have a treasured personal physician. Regardless of what you’ve seen and heard, the path you’re now on will be both more difficult and challenging, but ultimately more rewarding than any other path you can possibly imagine.
Of course, we never had this wonderful tradition of a White Coat Ceremony in the “Middle Ages.”
But those were the days when anything seemed possible to me. Each day brought a new and often-times unexpected challenge and opportunity… and, it was so thrilling to realize that one day I might make a significant impact on someone else’s life… an impact that would really make a real difference.
Today, you enter medical school at a time when your service, talent and humanity are needed more than ever.
Every country in the world has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. And you stand between that dreadful virus and a healthy recovery….
You represent what must be upheld in these profoundly challenging times…
You represent the need to make discoveries, to seek the truth and to base decisions on a scientific understanding of the world -- to determine the pathophysiology of disease and to seek cures.
You represent the integrity, high ethical standards and selflessness at the heart of the altruistic endeavor to improve the health and longevity of the human race.
You represent the passion passed from generation to generation that recommits to what is truly important: As physicians, we must care for each other, and for those who cannot care for
We must take it upon ourselves to make this world a better place.
So, as you enter Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, approach each day with the OUWB values in your mind and heart:
Be compassionate and serve with dignity and empathy in all your endeavors;
seek partnerships, collaboration and teamwork;
be an innovator and seek answers;
conduct yourself honestly and ethically;
and, always seek excellence in your professional and personal life.
If I were to offer advice to you, it would be simple and straightforward:
Find joy in what you do and who you
You will give so much of yourselves to your profession. Make sure you have something left for yourself. Take the time to foster your own wellness and happiness, too.
Welcome to OUWB, we are very proud of all of you and know you will carry on the proud OUWB tradition.