A short white coat may not seem like a life-changing article of attire, but for medical students donning them for the first time as they begin their physician training, it is exactly that.
Often seen as a symbol of professionalism and the weight of the heavy responsibility entrusted upon a future physician, the white coat frequently is conferred on new students during a ceremony held at the very beginning of medical school.
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History of the white coat
The ceremony signifies the beginning of medical students’ journeys to receiving long white coats, when they are physicians. It also symbolizes professionalism, caring and trust, which they must earn from patients, according to an essay providing historical perspective on the doctor’s white coat that was published in the AMA Journal of Ethics®.
The essay highlights that for more than a century, a white coat has served as a preeminent symbol of the profession. It conveys expertise and reliability to patients who may be looking for a place to turn for healthcare.
“Students beginning their studies in medical school see their education and role as future physicians as aspiring to be worthy of the long white coat,” according to the AMA Journal of Ethics article. “Medical school must give students the scientific and clinical tools to become doctors. Just as importantly, the white coat symbolizes the other critical part of students' medical education, a standard of professionalism and caring and an emblem of the trust they must earn from patients.”
White-coat ceremonies offer an induction into the noble calling of medicine. To AMA member Carol A. Terregino, MD, senior associate dean for education and associate dean for admissions at Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, that means a focus on two key principles for the provision of care: humanism and professionalism.
“We tell our students you develop your professionalism through relationships, reflection and resilience,” Dr. Terregino said. “It’s something you wear all the time when you don’t have the white coat on.
“For me, humanism is making sure that the patient in front of you knows that they are the most important thing on a physician’s mind during that encounter and in their care. You can do that in a lot of different ways. There’s power in making connections. You can use your eye to let patients know you are with them, you understand them and you care about them.”
A milestone day
For example, on a Friday afternoon in late July 2025, medical students gathered with their families and friends at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, in Kansas City, for the white-coat ceremony held for the University of Kansas (KU) School of Medicine.
During the ceremony, each student also received a pin representing one of eight medical alumni societies, took an oath of commitment to the profession and signed the medical school’s honor code book.
KU School of Medicine is a member of the AMA UME Curricular Enrichment Program, which provides on-demand education through a micro-learning approach to help medical students distinguish themselves for residency and succeed in medicine. Educators can assign specific elements such as healthcare business fundamentals and leadership skills and receive reports on student progress, track via a dashboard, send reminder emails and customize reports. Schedule an introductory call now.
What the white coat stands for
Tyler Re was an incoming first-year KU medical student in August 2026, originally from Buffalo, New York. In reflecting on his white-coat ceremony, the moments leading up to donning his white coat on stage in front of hundreds of onlookers were full of nerves.
“I’ve been trying to get to this point for a good amount of time,” said Re, an AMA member. “Once I actually got the white coat, it was nice to kind of have that symbolic moment.”
The coat, Re said, stands for the values that patients expect from their physicians.
“You hope the person underneath that white coat has empathy and active-listening skills and is focused on what the patient needs,” he said.
Anya Asjad, also an incoming first-year KU medical student in 2025, had aspirations to attend medical school since early in her undergraduate studies. The realization of that dream and her responsibilities going forward gave her cause to reflect.
“Once I put that white coat on, I was like: OK, this is going to be super fun and I'm going to learn a lot,” said Asjad, also an AMA member. “But it's also a privilege to serve people, and it's a huge weight you should be aware of. Every decision you make is going to impact someone's health and happiness and safety.”
As part of KU’s class of 2029, Asjad is years away from practicing medicine, but she has some idea of what kind of physician she hopes to be.
“Medicine is a job of service,” she said. “I want to be compassionate and empathetic and really listen to people.”
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