Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
UQ-OCS Students Receive White Coats at 12th Annual Ceremony
Release Date: 1/13/2022
On January 8, 2022, The University of Queensland Ochsner Clinical School held its 12th annual White Coat Ceremony, a rite of passage for medical students held to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care from the start of medical training. The iconic event was celebrated virtually this year to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 during a surge of cases.
During the event, 96 doctors-in-training received their white coats in a virtual ceremony and were honored with Humanism in Medicine pins – a visual symbol displayed on the lapel of each white coat to remind students to keep empathy at the center of clinical practice.
Elena V. Rios, MD, MSPH, MACP, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association and President of the National Hispanic Health Foundation, served as the keynote speaker. The ceremony concluded with a recitation of the Ochsner Clinical School Oath, which serves as the official start to the second phase of the UQ Ochsner Medical Degree program focused on clinical experiences.
“Receiving a white coat is a physical reminder of the oath these students have taken to serve, to heal, to lead, to educate and to innovate for their patients – each and every day. It is a privilege for our exceptional faculty at UQ Ochsner Clinical School to play a role in shaping the next generation of physicians,” said Ronald Amedee, MD, Dean of Medical Education, Director of The University of Queensland Ochsner Clinical School.
Medical students from UQ Ochsner Clinical School who received their white coats have opportunities to give back to communities, in New Orleans and abroad, through projects facilitated by the Ochsner Medical Student Association (OMSA). Programs include Walk with a Future Doc, a national non-profit that encourages healthy physical activity in people of all ages; Ochsner’s “Save-A-Voice” ALS Voice Banking team, made up of students who volunteer their time to help patients with newly diagnosed ALS record their voice; and The UQ STAR mentorship program, in which the UQ Ochsner Clinical School students mentor a select cohort of high school seniors by teaching clinical examination skills and other medical knowledge.
