The 木瓜视频 Health Morsani College of Medicine officially welcomed 132 first-year medical students into the profession during the Class of 2029 White Coat Ceremony, Sept. 6.
In front of family, friends and mentors, each student received their first white coat and recited the Oath of Commitment, symbolizing their transition into the medical profession. By partaking in the ceremony, each student stepped into a tradition connecting generations of physicians and reaffirmed the values of trust, integrity and empathy that guide the practice of medicine.
鈥淭onight marks the first formal step in your journey into medicine, a rite of passage that signifies the profound responsibilities you assume as future physicians,鈥� said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of 木瓜视频 Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. 鈥淲hile the white coat confers authority, it also demands integrity, intelligence and humility.鈥�
When Hana Seif slipped on her white coat, she thought about the road that brought her here. Her family鈥檚 sacrifices and her own journey through adversity fuel her passion to care for patients and communities most in need.
鈥淚 saw how my parents sacrificed so that my brother and I could have opportunities they never had,鈥� Seif said. 鈥淩eceiving my first white coat feels like something my whole family has earned. It鈥檚 a reflection of my family鈥檚 journey and a promise to how I will care for others.鈥�
Khoi Vu grew up with health care close to home. His mother is a dentist and several relatives are physicians. Inspired by their example, he says the white coat represents his own chance to serve and make a difference.
鈥淧ursuing a career in medicine has been a way for me to form tighter bonds with my family and give back to my community,鈥� Vu said.
Meet a couple of our newest medical students:
Matthew Bone
Raised by a single father who modeled resilience through hard work and sacrifice, Matthew Bone has already broken barriers as the first in his family to graduate college. Now, he鈥檚 aiming even higher by following his dream of becoming a physician.
鈥淲hile being a first-generation college graduate isn鈥檛 something I鈥檝e truly thought about, I feel my unique experiences and sense of calling have led me to become a doctor,鈥� Bone said.
His path to medical school wasn鈥檛 without obstacles. As an undergraduate at 木瓜视频, he took a medical leave of absence and took a gap year to work as a behavioral technician at Charlotte Behavioral Health in Punta Gorda, Fla. He later returned to complete his degree in biomedical sciences.
Bone said it was during his own health challenges as a student that he discovered his calling to help people. And it was while working at the behavioral clinic that he set his sights on psychiatry.
鈥淧sychiatry is the perfect blend of humanity and medicine,鈥� Bone said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a very understanding person and judging patients never made sense to me. To treat everyone with the highest respect and best patient care possible is all I want to do.鈥�
In addition to pursuing world-class medical training at 木瓜视频, Bone has another reason to feel connected to the Morsani College of Medicine 鈥� it鈥檚 where he proposed to his fianc茅e, Jenna.
Victoria Lahey
As an undergraduate student, Victoria Lahey was a leader with the 木瓜视频 Golden Bulls Dance Club, something she did not think was possible after being diagnosed with scoliosis at 12 years old.
She was treated by several specialists who prescribed back braces to help correct the curve in her spine, which eventually required surgery. The relationship she developed with her surgeon helped ease her concern about the long-term effects of major back surgery. When she thought she was getting ready to take her final bow, her surgeon reassured her that she would be able to dance again.
After a seven-hour surgery, two titanium rods, 23 screws and two years of physical therapy, Lahey returned to the dance floor.
Now as a medical student, she draws on her own patient care experiences as a blueprint for the kind of physician she wants to be.
鈥淣ormally, when someone gets the news that they need major back surgery, it鈥檚 a scary time that will bring up more questions than answers,鈥� Lahey said. 鈥淢y surgeon always went out of his way to address our fears while painting a realistic picture of how the surgery would affect me long-term. This is the kind of care I want to provide and relationships I want to build with my patients. I want to be able to give people that reassurance that they can and will be able to return to their passions in life.鈥�
More about the class of 2029:
Median MCAT: 520
Median GPA: 3.96
Median BCMP: 3.96
Residency: 51% Florida, 49% out of state
Languages spoken: 82% two or more, 28% three or more
More pics from the ceremony
