The Journal

Alexandra Johnson of Mancos received her first white coat and stethoscope at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Duluth Campus White Coat Ceremony, held Aug. 16, inside the Marshall Performing Arts Center.

The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage that serves to welcome first-year medical students to the profession and reinforce the value of humanism as foundational to medicine. It is during this ceremony when students recite their oath. This sacred pledge dates back hundreds of years and affirms each student to abide by a strong set of ethical standards, commitment to their patients and the utmost quality of care.

Pockets of the coats were filled with notes that were sent in with gifts sponsoring the white coats. These ranged from nostalgic memories from alumni at their ceremony to well wishes from parents for their child. In total, 65 white coats were presented to the Class of 2023.