White Coat Ceremony

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation White Coat Ceremony welcomes entering medical students and helps establish a psychological contract for the practice of medicine.

The event emphasizes the importance of compassionate care for the patient as well as scientific proficiency and includes several elements:

• Recitation of student-written oath which represents the public acknowledgment by the students of the responsibilities of the profession and their willingness to assume such obligations in the presence of family, friends, and faculty.
• Cloaking of students in their first white coats.
• An address by the recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.

At the ceremony, students are welcomed by their deans, or other respected leaders who represent the value system of the school and the new profession the students are about to enter.

The cloaking with the white coat—the mantle of the medical profession—is a hands-on experience that underscores the bonding process. It is personally placed on each student's shoulders by individuals who believe in the students’ ability to carry on the noble tradition of doctoring. It is a personally delivered gift of faith, confidence and compassion.

The Class of 2029

The Class of 2029 White Coat Ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday August 1, 2025 at 10am at the Aronoff Center for the Arts (650 Walnut St, Cincinnati, OH 45202). The White Coat ceremony is an important milestone in medical education and is the formal induction into medical school. Welcome to our new Medcats!