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The ceremony marks the moment where students emerge as doctors-in-training, with this year's occasion holding a significant weight among attendees.
Morehouse School of Medicine has a long history of educating diverse future doctors. The institution held its 40th Convocation and White Coat Ceremony as its latest cohort begins classes.
The ceremony marks the moment when students emerge as doctors-in-training, with this year’s occasion holding a significant weight among attendees. Its first-year class of 332 scholars includes those pursuing physician assistant studies. Other students will receive a graduate education in biomedical sciences and public health.
Of this number, nearly a third will train to become medical doctors. While the white coats they put on are shorter than what official doctors wear, putting on the garment signifies that they are well on their way.
“It’s the start of my superhero’s journey and the start of the medical journey,” shared medical student Peyton Pritchett to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “[And] the start of me learning how to be in the position that I was supposed to be and that I want to be for my future patients.”
Another student, Juan Gomez, added, “It’s a symbol of the superpower I’m now able to put forth into that work.”
Xavier Becerra, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, also attended the ceremony as its keynote speaker. Becerra shared that he understood the journey of many students and families in the audience. Moreover, he noted his own uphill battle to overcome his working class upbringing to achieve his greatest ambitions. Of his recognition, the school’s president and CEO, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, declared his speaking engagement an “honor” while they welcomed this historic class.
“Morehouse School of Medicine is honored to welcome Secretary Becerra and excited for him to share his insights with our incoming students,” said Montgomery Rice in a press release. “Convocation is one of the school’s most significant events each year, as we warmly welcome these scholars into the MSM community and celebrate their commitment to their academic journeys. In just a few short years, they will graduate as healthcare and scientific professionals, ready to improve the lives of countless individuals in their communities and make the world a healthier, more equitable place for all.”
Morehouse School of Medicine aims to provide an academic pathway for scholars of all backgrounds. In fact, with over half of its incoming 105 medical students identifying as Black/African American men, the school continues to bridge the representation gap for medical providers.
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