‘More than a rite of passage’
Students from UF M.D. class of 2025 receive white coats at April 30 ceremony
May 1, 2023 – Surrounded by loved ones on a bright Sunday afternoon, 142 members of the UF medical school class of 2025 achieved the next milestone in their physician training by receiving their first personalized white coats, an important and tangible symbol exemplifying their hard work and preparation. The students will don the coats as they begin their third-year clinical rotations.
“More than just a rite of passage, this ceremony represents a new stage in our students’ medical journeys, and it serves as a symbol of a commitment we made to the highest standards of excellence,” said Colleen Koch, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., dean of the College of Medicine.
During the 20th annual Mark S. Gold, M.D. ’75, White Coat Ceremony on April 30, UF’s largest medical school class to date celebrated earning their white coats alongside their peers and recited the college’s code of ethics.
“We have spent the last 18 months helping you lay the foundation for what will be required for you to answer the questions you’re asked as a physician,” said Shelley Collins, M.D., the associate dean for student affairs. “But simply answering questions is not the secret behind being a great doctor. The secret is having a deep and profound understanding that your knowledge, paired with other people, can change someone’s life. Your commitment to patients, science and your community comes from within you.”
In the coat pocket of each of the coats, the students could find a message from an alumnus who was once in their shoes.
Jason Wilson, M.D. ’04, is among the alumni who contributed a few words of wisdom to the students, writing: “This is your chance to learn how to take care of patients. Remember to keep the patient at the center of your education. Read about your patients and remember every patient has a story.”
Class of 2025 president Olivier Barolette shared remarks during the event, thanking the loved ones who traveled to see their family members on an important day and honoring others who could not make it.
“These past two years, I’ve seen how intelligent, capable and compassionate you all are,” he said of his classmates. “I’m so thankful and honored to be the class’s champion during events. As we head into our clinical years, I want to encourage you to continue to be a community and to help one another.”
Meet a few faces from the M.D. class of 2025:
Ricardo Chavez
Photo by Emily Mavrakis
Ricardo Chavez
Ricardo Chavez’s interest in medicine stems from his desire to help others, an interest he traces back to his grandmother. Chavez, who was born in Ecuador but spent most of his childhood in Chile, returned to his birth nation each summer to visit his grandmother, who has diabetes, and dedicated much of his time to helping her to feel comfortable.
When he later attended high school in the U.S. and the University of South Florida as an undergraduate student, Chavez volunteered at a free health clinic in Tampa as an interpreter for Spanish-speaking patients.
“That was the spark that kickstarted my career in medicine, my ‘aha’ moment,” he said. “A lot of the patients I saw in that clinic didn’t speak English, just like when I first came to the States and didn’t speak a lick of English. Those patients struggled to obtain medical care and be understood by the provider, and being there to break that barrier was a really eye-opening experience that drove me to the path I’m on right now.”
Chavez now volunteers in a similar role with the UF Equal Access Clinic Network, a free, student-run clinic, where he sees patients at Spanish Night, a site dedicated to making sure Spanish-speaking staff and clinicians are available to interact with community members seeking care.
Receiving his white coat, Chavez said, reflects the support he’s been give from friends and family and is a sign of the professionalism and trust that is necessary for a career in medicine.
“It’s a symbol that people recognize immediately,” he said. “For me, it shows a commitment to serve in our community and to provide the best care possible to patients in the future.”
Jaime Harris
Photo by Danielle Ivanov
Jamie Harris
During her first year in the UF College of Medicine Medical Honors Program, Fort Myers native Jamie Harris, a talented dancer who dreamed of becoming a pediatrician, was attacked by a dog. She worried the resulting injury to her face would make it hard for children to trust her, scaring away potentially patients. But with the skilled help of her dermatologist, Dhaval Bhanusali, M.D., Harris was able to fully heal and discovered a passion for pediatric dermatology, where she could help kids with similar traumas.
“I didn’t think I could be a pediatrician or ever work with kids again; I thought no one would ever want to approach me or look me in the eye,” she said. “But my dermatologist changed all that just absolutely. I can’t even put into words how life-changing that experience was. It was really hard, but it brought me exactly where I needed to be. Now I know this is my path; this is what I’m meant to be doing.”
Heading into her third year of medical school, Harris is looking forward to getting out of the classroom and into the clinic. New experiences in patient care, like observing and learning to perform surgery, are a big step forward, she said.
“White coat is this huge, symbolic moment of, ‘You are truly responsible — We trust you,’” Harris said. “I’m excited to throw myself all in and really experience it. This is the time to immerse yourself and get to know everything, learn as much as you can hands-on and really be part of the team.”
Daniel Chong
Photo by Emily Mavrakis
Daniel Chong
As a teenager, Daniel Chong experienced firsthand the impact medical professionals can have on a young patient when his family fostered a 9-year-old orphaned child from Ukraine and continued to care for him as his muscular dystrophy symptoms advanced.
“I got to really understand what it meant to serve someone directly, but there were specific challenges we went through, like a language barrier and getting him evaluated by a ton of physicians,” he said. “But by just being there for him and caring for him, he taught me a lot of strength. When I got to college, I realized that if I can spend the rest of my life helping another person or being there for them, that seemed like the best use of my time.”
Chong became passionate about helping people with disabilities through his classes and volunteer work during his undergraduate studies at UF.
As he wraps up his second year of medical school, Chong is thinking about the friends and family who have helped him achieve the successes necessary to receive his white coat.
“I wouldn’t be here without the love, encouragement and support I’ve gotten from my family, friends and teachers growing up,” he said. “Receiving my white coat also reminds me of the privilege we will have as future physicians to be there for patients, sometimes on their worst days. It takes a lot of sacrifice, time and stress to learn this information, but then we have the opportunity to really practice our skills and help others. That makes it worth it.”
Scenes from the M.D. class of 2025 white coat ceremony
Photos by Jesse S. Jones
