The University of Queensland (UQ) Ochsner Clinical School honored 113 doctors-in-training at its ninth annual White Coat Ceremony on Jan. 5 at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center. The White Coat Ceremony for the Ochsner Clinical School students signifies the official recognition of the students entering phase two of the medical degree program, which is focused on clinical experiences.
“The White Coat Ceremony is an iconic rite of passage and a significant step forward in the medical student’s career path toward becoming a physician,” said Leonardo Seoane, MD, chief academic officer, Ochsner Health System “From today forward, every time a medical student puts on their white coat, it will serve as a physical reminder of the oath these students have taken to serve, to heal, to lead, to educate and to innovate for their patients.”
David F. Lewis, MD, MBA, dean of the School of Medicine for Louisiana State University – Shreveport served as the keynote speaker. Following the cloaking of students and presentation of Humanism in Medicine pins, the ceremony concluded with the reciting of the Oath of Clinical Students, which officially commences the clinical phase of training for the 113 doctors-in-training in UQ Ochsner Clinical School’s class of 2020.
The 113 medical students from UQ Ochsner Clinical School’s class of 2020 who received their White Coats graduated from respected institutions across the country including Boston College, Georgetown University, Emory University, Northwestern University, Texas A&M University, and Vanderbilt, as well as in-state programs at Louisiana State University and Tulane University.
The UQ Ochsner Clinical School is a unique four-year training, academic and clinical experience, which takes place across two continents. The first two years of medical school curriculum take place in Brisbane, Australia at UQ, which is recognized as one of the top universities in the world and ranked 42nd worldwide on the 2019 US News Best Global Universities list. The final two years of clinical study are completed with the Ochsner Health System in New Orleans at UQ's Ochsner Clinical School.
Members of the 2017 UQ Ochsner Clinical School graduating class garnered an impressive 95 percent match rate through the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).