One after the other – with proud family and friends snapping photos – 159 first-year medical students took part in the annual White Coat ceremony to signify the beginning of their medical careers.
The largest ever entering class for the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is due in part to the Ontario government announcing an additional 24 medical school spaces for Schulich – with half of these additional students starting this fall, and the other half in 2010.
Janet Lee-Evoy was all smiles as she put on her white coat for the first time at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry ceremony.
“We offer not only training, but develop compassionate and dedicated leaders who will shape the future of health care in this country,” says Schulich dean Carol Herbert, taking part in her last White Coat ceremony. She will step down next year following two terms as dean.
“You are the future of medicine and we want you to step up as an advocate for the health care system in Canada.”
The 159 students of the Class of 2013 were drawn from an applicant pool of more than 2,200. The University of Windsor will be taking 30 of these students for what will be the second year of the Schulich Windsor program. As in the past, the male/female ratio is pretty much even, with 82 men and 77 women.
They will soon be paging Dr. Philip Alves as the first-year student took his initial step towards a career in medicine with the White Coat ceremony at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
In a change from previous years, where approximately 15 universities were represented in the first-year class, this year’s class sees 27 universities recognized. The majority of the class, 142 students (89 per cent), is from Ontario.
Francis Chan, Assistant Dean of Students Affairs, shared his humour and honesty with the students on what they can expect in their first year at Western.
“Your star shines brightly today,” says Chan. “We will teach you the skills of medicine over the next four years. There will be challenging times during this time, but you will get through it. If you ever feel overwhelmed, think back on this exact moment and you’ll see it is well worth the journey.”