Across New York and Montana, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2028 Begins Medical School with White Coat Ceremony
Dreams Realized as Students from Three TouroCOM Campuses Don White Coats and Symbolically Enter Medical Profession
Across two states and three campuses, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) welcomed almost 400 student to their studies in three separate white coat ceremonies. The ceremonial coating occurs before students officially begin their first year and heralds their entrance into the medical profession.
TouroCOM Harlem held its celebration on July 24 at City College’s Aaron Davis Hall for 134 class members; TouroCOM-Middletown on July 22 at the Paramount Theater for 135 class members; and TouroCOM Montana held its celebration on July 25 for the school’s second class of 125 students.
Touro Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Krupka, who spoke at all three ceremonies, asked students to embark on their medical career with a lesson from the university. “Touro was started by a 56-year-old academic… in a very run-down building in Midtown Manhattan with 36 undergraduate students,” Rabbi Krupka said, “Today, Touro University proudly boasts an enrollment of 19,000 students.”
“The lesson I want you to learn is a lesson that was taught to us by our founder, Dr. Bernard Lander,” continued Rabbi Krupka. “You need a vision, a dream, and you must be tenacious in pursuing that dream. Each one of you had a dream to become a physician and this is a major step in that journey. That tenacity that brought you to this point is going to have to carry you through the next four years of school, your internship, and your specialty training.”
Meaning of the White Coat
Speaking to students in Montana, Touro President Alan Kadish, MD, spoke of the significance of the white coat.
“The white coat represents the fact that you’re becoming something, medical students and in the future, physicians,” Dr. Kadish explained. “It also represents a sense of responsibility: the responsibility to your patients, families and society in general. Wear your white coat properly, proudly, and take seriously the implications of having reached this milestone.”
During his speech, Dr. Kadish spoke of the challenges of providing care in a country that occasionally seems fractured. “We have a chance to overcome the challenges of a broken society and make a genuine difference to individuals and their families,” he said. “The white coat means we leave our politics and personal opinions at the door. We dispense with extraneous notions as we set upon the singular task of plying our trade and practicing medicine and helping society one individual at a time.”
Kenneth Steier, DO, MBA, MPH, MHA, MGH, executive dean of TouroCOM and the founding dean of TouroCOM-Middletown, told the students that the white coat wasn’t only a symbol and a responsibility, but a source of strength. “As you put on your white coat today, you begin the transition to a healer, someone who cures diseases and saves lives,” explained Dr. Steier. “With this coat comes magical powers, wear it proudly and use your powers wisely.”
Dr. Interpal Singh, director of cardiology at Garnet Health Medical Center, delivered a meaningful keynote address to the students at TouroCOM-Middletown.
“Let compassion be your driving force, remember behind every case is a person seeking hope, healing, and comfort,” he said. “Remember that behind every patient is a family facing uncertainty and fear. Your patient will come to you in their most vulnerable moments. You making that brilliant diagnosis, prescribing medications, and performing that procedure will not alleviate the patients’ and families’ concern if it is not accompanied by empathy and kindness.”
“It’s Really Special”
Students from all three campuses said the ceremonies were meaningful for them.
TouroCOM Middletown student Edward Morrissett was set to begin a career in finance after graduating from Davidson College, but when his first day was pushed back because of Covid-19, second thoughts crept into his mind. Morrissett thought about how much he admired his grandfather, a physician. “Donning the white coat is a really special moment,” marveled Morrissett whose grandfather coated him on stage.
Gisella Molina, a TouroCOM Harlem student, said the ceremony reaffirmed her commitment to medicine. “I was doubtful I’d make it here,” said Molina whose parents are immigrants from Ecuador. “As a little girl, I always said I wanted to become a doctor, so it was really emotional for me to put on the white coat. There were a lot of happy tears for me and my family.”
“I thought about my dad and my grandparents,” said TouroCOM Montana student Neil Patel whose father died from a heart attack during the Covid pandemic. “I worked so hard towards this goal all my life and I finally did it. Walking across the stage, it was almost magical: This is the first step in the rest of my life.”
