Program emcee Dr. Michael Metz, chair of the ULSD’s Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, opened the event by explaining the significance of the white coat in health care professions. He called on students to “wear your white coats with pride today and every day with understanding of all that it signifies to our profession: integrity, compassion and professionalism.”

Kelsey Francisco, a dental hygiene student, echoed that statement, saying, “It is an honor to get the white coat. I feel really inspired coming into the dentistry profession.”

Her dental hygiene classmate, Anab Ahmed, said putting on the white coat also represented a personal achievement.

“I’ve wanted to be a hygienist since high school. I feel like I’m dreaming,” Ahmed said.��

DMD student Talia Kalter said she has also looked forward to this moment for a long time. “I’ve wanted to be a dentist since I was about 8, so it’s really incredible,” she said.

Jack Speelman, who was accepted to the DMD class of 2026 during high school through UofL’s , said the event also represents the beginning of a new journey: “Over the next four years, I’m looking forward to meeting all of my classmates and learning a lot more about dentistry.”

In addition to donning their white coats during the event, students recited a pledge accepting responsibility to patients, the profession and the community. Representing the Louisville chapter of the American Student Dental Association, Brianna Gill (ULSD DMD class of 2024) led students in the pledge.

Guest speakers included Dr. Terry Norris, representing the Kentucky Section of the American College of Dentists, and Drake Coomer (ULSD DMD class of 2023), representing the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association.

Coomer advised students to rely on each other and their faculty, while remembering that the goal is not just to graduate, but to develop the clinical, ethical and personal principles that will guide their professional lives.

“You are here for a reason,” he said. “The school chose you to come join us in our mission to achieve higher standards for our patients and our profession.” 

About the DMD class of 2026

Admission to the University of Louisville DMD program is highly competitive, with only 120 seats available for each class and more than 10 times that number of applications in a typical year. Academic averages for the class of 2026 are 3.59 overall GPA and 3.46 biology-chemistry-physics GPA. The average Dental Admissions Test score is 20.

In addition to being exceptional academically, the class of 2026 is diverse – with 13% of students coming from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in dentistry. They also come from a wide range of geographic areas, representing 69 colleges and universities across the United States.

Students in the DMD class of 2026 come to ULSD from:

• 22 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia
• 13 countries of birth: Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, United States (including seven students holding dual citizenship in the United States and another country)

About the Advanced Standing class of 2024

��������’s�� admission option into the DMD program is designed for selected individuals who have received a dental degree from an institution outside the United States or Canada. ULSD does not admit advanced standing students every year, as the program is depending on space available in the D2 class. This year’s White Coat ceremony honored two internationally-trained dentists who joined ULSD in January 2022 and will graduate with the DMD class of 2024: Dr. Robertha Jones and Dr. Jhanvia Patel.

About the Dental Hygiene class of 2024

ULSD’s Dental Hygiene program accepts 30 students per year. Members of the class of 2024 have previously completed lower division requirements and gained acceptance into the upper division.

More photos from the ceremony are .��

The ceremony marked the official start of the students’ medical education. Each of the 159 students was welcomed individually by faculty, staff and other respected school leaders and a white coat was placed on their shoulders. As part of the ceremony, the students recited the Declaration of Geneva, a commitment to the humanitarian standards of medicine.

Joseph Holland, a second-year medical student, offered seven points of advice to the incoming class.

“Do not listen to everyone all at once; find a dedicated study space; practice questions make perfect; do not panic, channel your anxiety; always ask for help; failure sets you up for success; and, to build endurance, you must endure. Remember, you’re in this for the long haul. This was never a sprint; it’s a marathon,” Holland said.

For the School of Medicine, the event represents another opportunity to cultivate the next generation of health care professionals.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new class of medical students,” said Toni Ganzel, dean of the School of Medicine. “The White Coat Ceremony is a momentous occasion that signifies the hard work these students have put into their studies already and the opportunities they have to look forward to with a life in medicine.”

Christopher M. Jones, endowed professor in transplant surgery and the event’s keynote speaker, advised the students, “to innovate, collaborate and deliver care with the highest integrity.” He implored them to, “strive for mastery, humbly learn from our shortcomings, seek self-improvement and build mutual trust with all of our patients, especially those in marginalized communities.”

The White Coat Ceremony was the culmination of a week-long orientation for the students, which included basic life-support training, student wellness sessions, the introduction of the curriculum and course directors, lunch with the Advisory Colleges and a session led by Ganzel on the joy of medicine.

The class of 2026 represents 21 states, 62 colleges and universities and 30 undergraduate majors. It is one of the most diverse cohorts in the school’s history, with 61% of the class identifying as female, 22% from groups underrepresented in medicine, 16% from rural counties in Kentucky and 14% age 27 and older.

“The variety of backgrounds shared in the classroom will offer an unparalleled educational experience for all of our medical students, better preparing them for a lifelong career in medicine,” said Ann Shaw, vice dean for undergraduate medical education.

See more photos from the 2022 White Coat Ceremony on .

Written by Elizabeth Wolfe.��

UofL’s Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Dentistry each host a White Coat Ceremony encouraging students to enter into an inner, personal contract, accepting the obligations specific to their practice, as they are cloaked with a white coat.

University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi, PhD, gave the keynote address to more than 160 medical students during the School of Medicine Class of 2023 White Coat Ceremony on July 28.

“The ceremony is designed to clarify for students that a physician’s responsibility is to take care of patients, care for the patients and practice humanism in medicine,” said Toni Ganzel, MD, MBA, FACS, dean of the School of Medicine.

Nearly 50 doctorate of nursing practice students will receive a white coat on Aug. 15 during a ceremony on the UofL Health Sciences Center campus. Presiding will be Sonya Hardin, PhD, MBA, MHA, CCRN, NP-C, FAAN, dean of the UofL School of Nursing.

Finally, 120 dental and 30 dental hygiene students will participate in a White Coat Ceremony Aug. 24 at The Palace Theatre for the UofL School of Dentistry’s event.

David C. Johnsen, DDS, MS, dean of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, will give the keynote, with UofL School of Dentistry Dean T. Gerard Bradley, BDS, MS, DrMedDent, presiding. Johnsen, a pediatric dentist, will speak on critical thinking in learning and professional environments.

On Sunday, there were lots of smiles, hugs, cheers and tears from students and their families at the School of Medicine’s White Coat Ceremony, which formally marks the students’ entry into medical school.��

At the annual ceremony, UofL faculty and the local medical community formally welcome first-year medical students (known as “M1s”) by presenting them with their first white coat, a gift from the Greater Louisville Medical Society. They also received their first stethoscope, courtesy of the Stethoscopes for Students program, an effort funded by alumni of the UofL School of Medicine.

The class of 2022 is a diverse group, with the youngest being 19, and the oldest 32. Forty-three percent of the class is female, and 11 percent are from groups underrepresented in medicine. Twelve percent are from rural Kentucky counties. The 163 were selected from a pool of 3,558, and come from 18 different states and 58 different colleges and universities.

Compassion was a theme of the ceremony. Speakers urged students to take care of themselves so that they could take better care of others.

UofL President Neeli Bendapudi, PhD, gave the students three pieces of advice: to take care of themselves, to look out for one another, and to recognize that being a doctor meant they were part of a broader community.

“Remember, you will be treating a whole human,” she advised. “When you are physicians and you are working with a patient, the patient is more than an aching knee or a tumor, or something else that’s wrong with them. You need to see the psychosocial dimensions of every individual. The more you cultivate your own humanity, the more you cultivate who you are and the better off you will be.”

She told them they had chosen a noble profession. “You will see us when we are at our most vulnerable, our most nervous, most scared, and we will look to you to be our partners, our coaches, to be our cheerleaders, and I am thrilled that you’ve chosen to embark on that journey with us at UofL.”

Keynote speaker Barry Kerzin, MD, a Buddhist monk and founder and president of the Altruism in Medicine Institute and the personal physician to the Dalai Lama, also urged the students to practice self-care, along with humility and gratitude.

“The more you give, the more you receive. That’s enough. It says it all. … The more you love, the more you are loved. The more you are kind, the more kindness is shown to you,” he said.

He noted, “these are kind of compasses to try to orient our lives. Of course we won’t achieve these things overnight, maybe not – probably not – fully achieved in a lifetime. But these are goals, these are aspirations.”

He said gratitude was “extremely important.”

“To feel gratitude for the next breath that you take. That you’re alive. It’s wonderful stuff,” he said. “It makes you feel good, makes you appreciate life. Even when you’re having a rough time.”

He said humility, by decreasing the ego and arrogance, increases compassion and love.

“So in terms of a doctor, make a proper diagnosis, give a treatment, but also support the patient emotionally and the family emotionally. That’s critical, and that’s what makes a good doctor.”

After Kerzin’s speech, the students filed across the stage in groups, where UofL doctors helped them don their coats. The students’ first white coat is a short white coat, and after they graduate from medical school, they are entitled to wear a long white coat. The white coat symbolizes cleanliness and the compassion that inspires students to become physicians. As they walked from the stage, they were handed their stethoscopes.

Led by Greg Postel, MD, executive vice president for Health Affairs at UofL, the students then took the Declaration of Geneva, a more modern version of the Oath of Hippocrates, in which a new physician swears to uphold professional ethical standards.

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Working to support herself, the first-generation graduate didn’t start college until she was 20. Being a single mother to three children added challenges – but also motivation.

“I was uneducated in the resources available to me, and I underestimated my ability to manage studies and work simultaneously,” Hale said. “After succeeding for a year as a single mom working full time, I gained the confidence to pursue my goal once again. I realized that if I kept waiting for the right time, that time would never come. I decided the best thing for me to do for myself and my family was apply for medical school.”

Evan Meiman took a detour on his road to a career in medicine to spend time helping people in need. After graduating from college in 2015, he joined , serving at the Rhode Island Free Clinic in Providence as a volunteer coordinator for a full-service medical home for uninsured patients.

“When you work for a not-for-profit you wear many hats. I was in charge of the volunteer staff – doctors, interpreters, medical recorders, assistants, nurses,” Meiman said. “I coordinated medical recorders, Spanish interpreters and the medical assistants. It was close to 300 people.”

After a year with AmeriCorps, Meiman worked enrolling patients for clinical trials and research studies at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, where he learned valuable lessons about working with people in stressful situations.

“Some would laugh at you and kick you out. Others would sit and talk with you all day long. It was great interacting with people seeing a different side of medicine,” he said. “The two years I was out in the communities with sick and healthy people confirmed it’s exactly what I want to do. It showed me that people aren’t just cells that process sugars, they are human beings that have stories and lives.”

This Sunday, Meiman, Hale and 159 other students will be welcomed as first-year students in the University of Louisville School of Medicine at the school’s White Coat Ceremony.

In the ceremony, members of the class of 2021 receive a white coat, a gift of the Greater Louisville Medical Society, and a stethoscope, provided by an alumnus of the school through . The future physicians then recite the , promising to serve humanity and honor the traditions of the medical profession.

“It’s one thing to say you want to go to medical school, but to be given the tools to do it, I am honored. And it is exciting to be on the brink of it,” Meiman said.

Becoming a physician is a long process. Four years of medical school are followed by three or more years of residency training in a medical specialty. Meiman and Hale both have experience in planning for the long run. In his spare time, Meiman is a marathon runner.

“What I like about marathons is it’s so much more about what you put into it before the race. And it’s a great meditation and stress reliever.”

Hale hopes to have a positive impact on as many lives as possible.

“While we all hope to change the world, I will be fulfilled in the ability to change individual lives for the better, giving families more time together and providing a better quality of life.”

During Saturday’s ceremony, dental and dental hygiene students will put on their white coats and take the , prompting their responsibility for clinical excellence and professionalism at the beginning of their dental education. Students are encouraged to remember the importance of showing compassion and empathy for their patients, and treating them with respect throughout their careers.

The Transition Ceremony signifies the advancement of future nurses from the classroom to clinical rotation learning during the final four semesters of the undergraduate program. Similar to a White Coat Ceremony for the Schools of Dentistry and Medicine, the Transition Ceremony is a symbolic step into the nursing profession. Students recite the and receive a pin to wear on their scrubs that serves as a reminder of their commitment to provide high quality care.

“Compassion is the chief reason we all go into medicine,” Kerzin said. “Research suggests at the third year of medical school, compassion in medical students decreases significantly. I’ll address how to sustain our compassion through our training and out in the world practicing medicine.”

The ceremony will welcome the class of 2020 to the UofL School of Medicine. The students each will receive a white coat, a gift of the Greater Louisville Medical Society, and a stethoscope, provided by an alumnus of the school through . The white coat symbolizes cleanliness, as well as the sense of compassion that inspires students to become physicians. At the ceremony, the students will recite the , promising to serve humanity and honor the traditions of the medical profession.

Kerzin, a California native, is a board-certified family medicine physician and an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong School of Medicine. He is a former assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. After traveling to India in the 1980s to help train Tibetan doctors in modern research methods, he studied Buddhism and meditation and ultimately was ordained as a Buddhist monk. Kerzin now provides medical care to the poor in India and serves as a personal physician to the Dalai Lama in addition to traveling around the world to teach about meditation and compassion. He founded the  with the goal to bring more compassion into health care.

UofL School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony
Sunday, July 24, 3-5 p.m.
Louisville Downtown Marriott
280 W. Jefferson St., Louisville, Ky., 40202