KCU welcomed 281 students to the medical school class of 2021 in an official White Coating Ceremony on July 29, 2017, at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
The class was selected from nearly six-thousand applicants and includes students from 35 states across the U.S. and around the globe.
“The white coat you receive today is both a literal and symbolic mantle,” said Marc B. Hahn, president and CEO of KCU. “We are proud you are here, we are proud you are a part of our KCU family, and most importantly, we are proud to welcome you into this very select profession through the symbolic donning of your white coat.”
Mike Johnston, DO (KCU-COM '73), gave the keynote address which underscored the human aspect of medicine. “The compassion, empathy and kindness you show your patients are at the very heart of care,” Dr. Johnston said.
For Raj Patel, who earned his undergraduate degree at Boston College, the start of medical school is the beginning of a big challenge, and a dream come true. “I hope I will be reminded to stay human throughout it all,” Patel said. “I know the hard work will bog some people down, but at the end of the day if you remember you’re taking care of a lot of human beings, I think I’ll be happy in that sense.”
After introducing themselves and receiving their white coats on stage, students took the Osteopathic Oath, pledging loyalty to the profession they have entered.
The inaugural class at KCU-Joplin participated in a White Coating Ceremony July 24, 2017. Video highlights of both ceremonies can be seen on KCU's Youtube channel.
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