UK Physician Assistant Studies Program Holds White Coat Ceremony

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 31, 2012) – The University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) class of 2014 received their white coats during a ceremony in UK Chandler Hospital's Pavilion A auditorium.
 

During the ceremony, PAS students received their white coats and took the Physician Assistant Professional Oath. The UK PAS program presented white coats to 59 new students during the ceremony.

In attendance were faculty and staff from the PAS program and the UK College of Health Sciences, as well as the friends and families of students.
 

“Today marks a proud moment in the history of the UK Physician Assistant Program,” said Brad Schwarz, PAS division director and associate professor. “Although we have been conducting the White Coat Ceremony for several years, today’s ceremony symbolizes the beginning of a new era."

To date, the White Coat Ceremony has been conducted between the PA student’s first and second year of training prior to beginning their clinical rotations. However, the program faculty agreed to move the ceremony to the beginning of the PA students’ career in an effort to emphasize the importance of professionalism and the responsibilities, Schwarz said.
 

The white coat ceremony is a relatively new tradition originating in 1989 at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine, with the first full-fledged ceremony taking place in 1993 at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. These ceremonies are now considered a rite of passage for those entering into a health care profession as it symbolizes the responsibility to uphold the tenets of the Physician Assistant Professional Oath and signifies the transition from the classroom to the clinic.
 

“We are confident our new students will embrace the philosophy and expectations of professionalism and begin to live this out in their everyday lives immediately,” said Schwarz.  “Additionally, this is a very proud and important moment for the students’ families and friends to witness and provide their unconditional support.” 
 

The ceremony was followed by a reception in UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion A atrium.

The Physician Assistant Studies Program is part of UK’s College of Health Sciences. For more information, please visit www.mc.uky.edu/pa.