Medical school holds white coat ceremony

Members of the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Class of 2019 received their white coats during a ceremony Aug. 14 in the Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre.

The white coat ceremony is a symbolic rite of passage shared by medical students across the U.S. to establish a psychological contract for professionalism and empathy in the practice of medicine.

All 144 medical students took the Oath of Medicine at the ceremony. During the "calling of the class," students were called to the stage individually to be presented with their coat while their undergraduate institution and hometown were identified by Charles M. Severin, MD, PhD, UB associate dean for medical education and admissions.

Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and medical school dean, gave the welcome, telling students: "You have earned the right to wear one. Now you must earn the right to keep it."

Alan J. Lesse, MD, senior associate dean for medical curriculum at UB, delivered the keynote address. Archana Mishra, MD, clinical associate professor in the UB Department of Medicine, received the 2014 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.

Class of 2019 statistics and facts

The class of 144 was selected from a total of 4,362 applications received, 3.8 percent higher than last year’s application total of 4,201 and higher still than the 4,090 received in 2013.

Eighty-eight percent of the class of 2019 – 127 students – out of the total are from New York State, with 61 students from Western New York and 66 from other parts of the state. Thirty-five students earned their undergraduate degrees from UB. There are 74 males and 70 females. Students range in age from 21 to 40.

In addition to numerous double majors and concentrations exhibited by the class, several stood out: one student majored in pharmacology and theatre, while another has an automotive service degree and a major in microbiology and bacteriology. Another student had a triple major in biology, chemistry and music.

The students have multiple honors and awards and many have conducted biomedical research; topics include the relationship between circadian rhythms and cancer, echocardiograms and high altitudes, and neurotrauma.

Their community service ranges from working for the Journey’s End Refugee Service, developing theatrical productions with prison inmates, volunteering with Meals on Wheels and working with a group that provides emotional support for families of slain police officers. Their recreational activities range from Frisbee and flag football to bowling, lacrosse and alpine ski patrol.