Photo: Bryan Goodchild
Cloaked on stage by loved ones and mentors, 233 members of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 2029 donned their white coats for the first time at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester on Friday, Sept. 5, during the UMass Chan Medical School White Coat Ceremony, symbolizing their entry in to the medical profession.
Sasha Hussain, a first-year medical student in the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health regional campus track, was cloaked by her mother, a primary care physician.
“This means a lot to my mom because she’s always dreamt of cloaking me,” said Hussain, a University of Southern California graduate who thought at one point she would become a lawyer. “I hope to wear this coat with dedication to fight for patients both in clinic and the hallways of Congress.”
This was the last White Coat Ceremony over which Chancellor Michael F. Collins will preside as chancellor; he is stepping down from this role in July as the UMass system’s longest-serving chancellor—nearly 3,000 physicians will have graduated during his 19 years on the job.
“I’ve had the opportunity to live the dreams that you pursue now with idealism and passion. All of us here should celebrate and appreciate that you’re making a lifelong commitment to learning, adapting and evolving to better meet the ever-changing needs of others,” Chancellor Collins said. “Please know that on this day when you received your white coat, it was the greatest privilege of a lifetime for me to be your chancellor.” He was treated to a standing ovation by the crowd.
Photo: Bryan Goodchild
For first-year medical student Carter Liou of Milton, who attended the event with his parents, sister and friends, the White Coat Ceremony signifies triumph.
“For me, White Coat is a moment to reflect on where I am in my journey. As a reapplicant and someone who took four gap years, I know first and foremost the competitive nature of medical school admissions,” said Liou, who received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Colby College. “This journey wouldn’t have been possible without my friends and family who continued to believe in me when I felt my self-belief waver. I’m so happy to join the UMass Chan community and I’m grateful for the opportunity to become a physician.”
“Multiple moves growing up made me search for belonging in unfamiliar settings, which is how medicine caught my interest,” said medical student William Schweitzer, a Northeastern University graduate who has lived in Oregon, the Netherlands, California and Massachusetts. “The impact physicians made on my family while we experienced losses and didn’t know anyone in the health care field made me want to become that person. There are so many brilliant people in my class and I’m fortunate we share this learning environment.”
Members of the Class of 2029 range in age from 21 to 36, speak 48 languages and enter medical school with a combined 1.3 million research and clinical hours. All physicians in attendance joined the class at the end of the ceremony in reciting the Oath of Maimonides, led by Erik Garcia, MD, associate professor of family medicine & community health and the 2024 recipient of the Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Clinical Excellence. The oath ends with these words: “Here am I ready for my vocation, and now I turn unto my calling.”
