Crisp white coats, happy D.M.D. students, proud friends and family, and a strong sense of responsibility and the importance of ethics – all marked the University of Florida College of Dentistry 11th Annual White Coat Ceremony on July 11 in Gainesville, Fla.
The White Coat Ceremony, conducted after the students complete their second year of dental school, marks the transition from preclinical studies to a clinical setting where they will practice their learning and perfect their dental techniques under the watchful eye of faculty.
The program, presided over by Dean Teresa Dolan, included President of the Academy of Alumni & Friends Dr. Steven Bogdanoff, President-Elect of the Florida Dental Association Dr. Larry Nissen, and David Cardman, Class of 2011, who shared his views on professionalism and ethics.
Proving once again that our dental students have a deep pool of talent, O. Osundolu Atanda, Class of 2011, sang a beautiful a capella rendition of the National Anthem and, later, led attendees in singing the UF Alma Mater.
The Class of 2011 selected Dr. Deborah Dilbone as their Faculty Marshall, and Dr. Boyd Robinson and Dr. Henry “Mac” Young to present them with their white coats. Telka Jackson, Class of 2011, led the class and all dentists present in reading the Dentist’s Pledge.
White Coat history
Coating ceremonies are a relatively new tradition among professional schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy and veterinary medicine, among other professions. Believed to have originated at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine in 1989, the ceremonial donning of white coats has now spread to schools in and outside the United States.
