Incoming Drexel University College of Medicine students celebrate the start of their medical education. 

Drexel University College of Medicine welcomed 260 new medical students during the annual White Coat Ceremony on August 5. This tradition is celebrated by medical schools across the country and is an important first step for future physicians as they receive the traditional symbol of clinical care and service — the white coat.

Wearing their "cloaks of compassion," new medical students recited the Hippocratic Oath, which they will swear again when they complete their medical school education. This meaningful ritual, held in the presence of family and friends, helps students become aware of their responsibilities from the first day of their medical studies. The ceremony reinforces that a physician's responsibility is not only to take care of patients, but also to care for patients.

The Class of 2020 was welcomed by Valerie Weber, MD, vice dean for educational affairs, Daniel V. Schidlow, MD, Annenberg Dean and senior vice president for medical affairs, and William D. Surkis, MD, co-chair of the Alumni Association’s Cultivation and Engagement Committee.

The event’s keynote speaker was Neilanjan Nandi, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and a team advisor for first- and second-year medical students.

The first White Coat Ceremony took place in 1993 at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. The concept has spread to encompass 90 percent of medical schools nationwide. It was designed to produce a generation of physicians with a renewed focus on compassion.