White Coat Ceremony--Sept 24th 2009

It was such a fun day! The ceremony was held at the Rosemont Convention Center, and all the first year Med, Health Sciences, and Pharmacy Students received their short white coat as we took an oath for the future of our patients and practice. It has been a pretty crazy week and I have a lot of studying to do before another exam on Monday and Wednesday, but it was such a nice break to step back and remember the reason we put ourselves through so much madness:) The Pres of the school spoke to us, and gave a really wonderful message about how NOW is the time to be a professional. She spoke of ethics, preparation, and also the need for us, the students, to grow up. (I think that was the best part....Sometimes I struggle with how young and immature a lot of the people are..I think I just had these expectations of walking around campus with a bunch of solid, mature, professionals, and I have to remember that most of the people are coming straight from UnderGrad, and still have to get acquainted with "real life.". It seems like so many can barely take care of themselves, let alone someone else!)-- However, it is pretty amazing to witness a change come about in each of us, as we seem to be transforming into these characters that are our future selves... Someone people will entrust with their lives, and the lives of those they love most. The white coat is a symbol of education, concern, and service. It means so much more to be studying each day with that simple reminder of the WHY...A reminder of Why I am so passionate about what I do...A reminder of Why I can no longer "be a child"...and finally, A reminder of Why this time of my life is so precious and valuable. It is the only time in my life where the only concern I have is to learn medicine...Preparation.. SO--enough of my rambling. With that being said, I better get to studying. I just knew mom would want to see the pics..I'll touch them up later. Thanks for being my support- and understanding the little amount of time I have to give. You really make this possible. Here are the pics-Enjoy, and we'll see you at the end of the quarter!