Class of 2027 Welcomed at White Coat Ceremony

08/08/2023

On the last day of July, 182 Saint Louis University School of Medicine first-year students put on their white coats, symbolizing the start of the journey to becoming doctors.

The Class of 2027 White Coat Ceremony occurred at St. Francis Xavier College Church on Sunday, July 30. Family, friends, and loved ones witnessed the newest class of SLU School of Medicine’s students receive their white coats to mark the start of their journey. The cloaking of the white coats symbolizes the trust bestowed upon them to carry on the honorable tradition of doctoring.

During the ceremony, each student is called by name and donned a white coat by a physician, either from the School of Medicine or a loved one.  The ceremony concludes with the new class reciting the Hippocratic Oath, led by the newly inducted Gold Humanism Honor Society medical students from the Class of 2024.  A number of School of Medicine faculty attended the ceremony to show support for the new students. 

The annual White Coat Ceremony is part of orientation for School of Medicine students, that kicked off on Monday, July 24.  This year’s new group of 182 students is made up of 104 female and 78 male students.  Coming from 24 states, a total of 70 colleges and universities are represented.  Most of the students, 130, did their undergraduate education in the Midwest. 

About the School of Medicine

 Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first medical degree west of the Mississippi River. The school educates physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health care on a local, national and international level. Research at the school seeks new cures and treatments in five key areas: infectious disease, liver disease, cancer, heart/lung disease, and aging and brain disorders.