Wright State’s Boonshoft School of Medicine welcomes new class of future physicians with Convocation and White Coat Ceremony

As they slipped on their white coats for the first time, a new class of Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine students began the start of their medical education.

The Boonshoft School of Medicine welcomed 130 medical students during its 51st annual Convocation and White Coat Ceremony on July 18 at the Dayton Masonic Center. Surrounded by family and friends, the students began their journey to become physicians while celebrating the school’s 50th anniversary.

During the ceremony, students took their first oath of professional medical ethics, concluding with the words, “I commit myself to a lifelong journey of learning how to cure, relieve and comfort with humility and compassion.”

Each student received a white coat, a traditional symbol of the medical profession, personalized with their name and the Boonshoft School of Medicine patch. Students also received a stethoscope, provided through donations from alumni, faculty and friends.

Raj Mitra, M.D., dean of the Boonshoft School of Medicine, reminded students that the white coat represents more than a milestone.

“Today you’re receiving much more than a garment,” said Mitra. “You’re accepting a lifelong commitment.”

The Boonshoft School of Medicine welcomed 130 medical students during its 51st annual Convocation and White Coat Ceremony on July 18 at the Dayton Masonic Center.

For first-year medical student John Christman, that commitment has always been rooted in service.

“It’s always been about compassion for other people and care for my community,” he said.

The Convocation and White Coat Ceremony represents an important step in a medical student’s education. It marks the first time the students represent their status as a class and meet the faculty who will share, during the next four or more years, what may be some of the most memorable and intense experiences of their lives.

During the ceremony, Mitra also recognized several physicians from the School of Medicine’s first graduation class of 1976.

Alexandra Burton, a first-year medical student, said putting on the white medical coat made years of hard work and anticipation feel real.

“I know it’s going to be hard, but I feel like I have so much support,” she said.