UK Physician Assistant Studies Program Holds White Coat Ceremony
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 20, 2013) – The University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) class of 2015 received their white coats Friday, Feb. 15, during a ceremony in UK Chandler Hospital's Pavilion A Auditorium.
During the ceremony PAS students received their white coats and then took the Physician Assistant Professional Oath. The UK PAS program presented white coats to 58 new students during the ceremony. In attendance were faculty and staff from the PAS program and the College of Health Sciences, as well as the friends and families of the PAS students.
“The white coat ceremony is one the utmost highlights of a student’s tenure while enrolled in the University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Program,” said Brad Schwarz, PAS division director and associate professor. “It truly marks the beginning of a rite of passage as the student is accepting and fulfilling the role of a medical professional. The student is expected to assume and maintain a greater level of expectation and responsibility.”
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.
“This is also a special moment for the families as well as the faculty and staff. As the division director, this event truly energizes me to serve as the best role model possible and teacher. It reminds all of us that we are part of higher calling; what a privilege."
For more information about the physician assistant studies program at the UK’s College of Health Sciences, visit www.mc.uky.edu/pa.
Media Contact: Ann Blackford at ann.blackford@uky.edu or (859) 312-3587.
