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For the first time at IU School of Medicine, the White Coat Ceremony for medical students in the Class of 2024 will occur between the students' transition between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of medical school—in advance of clerkships. This significant ceremony takes place on April 18, 2022.

Class of 2024 White Coat Ceremony elicits great expectation

White Coat Ceremony

The White Coat Ceremony for medical students in the Class of 2024 will take place on Monday, April 18, 2022. For Indiana University School of Medicine, this is the first year where the event occurs between a students' transition between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of medical school—their second and third year of training.

The short white coats medical students wear elicit patients' high expectations of the doctor-patient relationship. In the presence of family, friends and faculty members, leaders will welcome students into the medical community, marking the completion of a rigorous pre-clerkship program and the transition into spending most of their time in the clinical environment.

White Coat ceremony 2019

In the United States, the White Coat Ceremony is traditionally placed at one of two potential points in the timeline of medical education: at or near the beginning of medical school, commemorating the entry into formal medical education, or just prior to the clinical clerkship phase of the education, commemorating the symbolism of the white coat as it relates to the physician's duty to the care of patients.

"As our school navigated the pandemic over the last several years, we migrated our white coat ceremony from the beginning of medical school to its current placement," said Paul Wallach, MD, executive associate dean for Educational Affairs. "This change was made so that we can truly elevate the centrality of compassion and caring in patient care as the major focus of this ceremony."

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Megan Stephens

Megan is a communications specialist in Medical Student Education. She calls herself a storyteller, having worked with many publications and companies to write engaging, creative, and compelling content. Before joining IU School of Medicine in March 2022, she worked as assistant editor of communications at IU School of Dentistry, content manager at an Indianapolis-based content marketing company, and a freelance writer.
The views expressed in this content represent the perspective and opinions of the author and may or may not represent the position of Indiana University School of Medicine.