Students in the Class of 2028 at the MU School of Medicine took their first steps as future physicians by partaking in two honored traditions. On July 31, new M1 students attended the Stethoscope Breakfast and received a stethoscope, signifying their first medical tool and technical side of the profession. Two days later, students gathered in Jesse Auditorium for the annual White Coat Ceremony and received an MU-branded white coat.
This year’s class of 128 first-year medical students were selected from more than 2,500 applicants. Of the students in the class of 2028, 86% are from Missouri and 18% are from rural areas. Additionally, 18% are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and 4% are first-generation college students.
At the White Coat Ceremony, School of Medicine leadership presented the new MU medical students with their white coats and administered the Declaration of Geneva, a modern version of the Hippocratic Oath.
The ceremony was opened by Richard J. Barohn, MD, executive vice chancellor for health affairs and Hugh E. Sarah D. Stephenson dean of the School of Medicine. Barohn emphasized that the white coat represents the benevolence and respect that a physician must have for every patient.
“The white coat signifies a compact, a contract, a commitment – to knowledge, mutual respect and shared humanity,” said Barohn. “It symbolizes the humanity and compassion that you must possess in your approach to your role as a physician.”
Former associate dean for student affairs and medical education, and chair of the Department of Child Health, Ted Groshong, MD ’67, presented the keynote address at the White Coat Ceremony.
The Class of 2028 also heard similar guidance at the annual Stethoscope Breakfast at the Patient-Centered Care Learning Center. Steven Daniels, MD ’87, an anesthesiology specialist with Sanford Health in Fargo, North Dakota, and member of MU’s Dean’s Alumni Advisory Committee, co-presented alongside Barohn at the event.
At the event, Barohn emphasized that the stethoscope symbolizes the technical expertise physicians gain in medical school. It is the first tool medical students will master in their journey to become physicians, but it will not be their last. Barohn closed his remarks by encouraging the new M1 students to hold compassion and respect for their patients at the core of their medical education.
St. Louis native, Isabella Bertarelli, was one of the M1 students in attendance at the traditional School of Medicine events. The mix of emotions and reality of beginning her new career stood out during each occasion.
“As a first-generation college student, these moments held extra significance,” said Bertarelli. “Receiving my first stethoscope represented the start of my journey into the technical and compassionate aspects of medical care. Being with my peers, family and friends at the White Coat Ceremony was particularly meaningful and reminded me of everyone’s generous support as I embark on this journey to become a physician.”
Generous alumni and friends provided stethoscopes and white coats for students. This is the 12th year of the donation program, which has raised more than $290,000. In the past year, more than $37,000 has been raised with donations coming from alumni across 28 states and ranging from Classes of 1955 to 2014.
The first White Coat Ceremony was conducted in 1993 at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. The ceremony was created by Arnold Gold, MD, a pediatric neurologist, who called the white coat his profession’s “cloak of compassion.” The Arnold P. Gold Foundation estimates that a White Coat Ceremony or similar rite of passage is now held at more than 90% of schools of medicine and osteopathy in the United States. The first White Coat Ceremony at MU occurred in 1997.
