College of Medicine – Tucson White Coat Ceremony Welcomes Class of 2025

Aug. 11, 2021
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Sparshee Naik smiles as Dr. Colleen Cagno presents her white coat during the Class of 2025 white coat ceremony at Centennial Hall.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson hosted the Class of 2025 for an in-person white coat ceremony on July 23. With 120 students, the Class of 2025 is the 27th class to have a white coat ceremony at the college. The first was held in 1995, and the ceremony has been a tradition for incoming UArizona Health Sciences medical students since.

The milestone underscores the recognition of the students’ entry into clinical medicine with their first physician’s white coat, the frock of their future profession.

“We were excited to conduct an in-person white coat ceremony for the incoming Class of 2025 due to efforts of our community, our health care system, and high vaccination rates among our students, administration and staff,” said Kevin Moynahan, MD, the college’s vice dean for education and a professor of medicine.

The Class of 2025 is 55% female and 45% male, with ages ranging from 21 to 38. Arizona residents represent 84% of the class, with 17 from Tucson. Forty-two of the students are underrepresented minorities, 35 identify as disadvantaged and 29 students are from a rural upbringing.

A “Humanism in Medicine” lapel pin, provided by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation which established the first white coat ceremony in 1993 at Columbia University in New York, was  affixed to each coat. “By establishing this meaningful ritual at the beginning of medical school, students become aware of their responsibilities from the first day of training,” the foundation states. The foundation was established in 1989 to foster humanism and compassionate care in medicine.