UK College of Medicine Welcomes Class of 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 26, 2010) - The University of Kentucky College of Medicine celebrated the union of past, present and future through the White Coat Ceremony, a significant and meaningful tradition, with alumni representatives from the past five decades presenting the newest medical students with their coats on Friday, Aug. 6, at UK's Singletary Center for the Arts.
The presentation of white coats, provided by the UK Medical Alumni Association, symbolizes the commitment to clinical service, care and professionalism.
“Today, Class of 2014, you receive an important symbol of our profession, the white coat,” said Dr. Emery A. Wilson, UK College of Medicine interim dean and vice president for clinical academic affairs. “As you wear these coats, know that you are in good company. Over the past 50 years of the College of Medicine’s existence, we have given these white coats to some extraordinary individuals. For the past 50 years, our College has attracted outstanding students like you and produced outstanding physicians. Class of 2014, you are the future of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. You will write the history of the next 50 years of the College. Write it well.”
The Class of 2014 includes 113 medical students, 88 of which are Kentuckians and 45 are from rural and Appalachian counties. The class is 43 percent women. The Class of 2014 also set the record for the highest Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) average in UK College of Medicine history, which has been annually on the rise since 2000.
Eight students from this class will be participating in the Rural Physician Leadership Program. This program works to better serve the Commonwealth by training future physicians in medically underserved rural areas through regional medical school sites, the first of which is in Morehead, Ky., with plans for a future site in Murray, Ky.
Taking the "Pledge of Professionalism for Students of Medicine," the students committed themselves to a life of compassion and respect for their patients, educators and colleagues.
"As we mark our 50th anniversary, we celebrate our past and look to the future," said Dr. Carol Elam, UK College of Medicine associate dean for admissions and institutional advancement, to the incoming class. "As our newest students, you stand on the shoulders of those who have come before you. Your entrance into our College of Medicine will change your life. And through the education you receive here, you will, in turn, change the lives of countless patients. To serve society in such a manner is indeed a privilege."
The UK College of Medicine has more than 7,400 alumni who practice in all 50 states and several countries around the world. In total, 2,730 alumni are currently practicing across the Commonwealth, generating $6.3 billion annually into Kentucky’s economy, according to UK’s Office of Health Research and Development. For more information about the college's 50th anniversary, visit http://www.mc.uky.edu/medicine50/.
To view a multimedia presentation of the event, visit UK's You Tube site, or click on this link to view.