White Coat Cerimonary for Medical Students

Medical schools are now handing out white coats to freshman medical students, far too early inn my opinion, but liberal education reform, not suprisiny, takes the position that you don’t have to know anything. Traditionally white coats came after two years of intensive basic science including pathology, before moving on to patient care. Be that as it may, along with the oath, the white coat ceremony brings tears to the eyes of both students and parents, many of whom are Physicians.

Alumni Physicians donate many of the white coats, as I do every year. I cannot resist including a card with parental admonitions to wit, be first of all a scientist and humanist, the business will take care of itself. Do the PhD rout to a degreee, study genetics, don’t wear your stethoscope around your neck unless you are in scrubs and then you don’t need it - but learn how to use it, don’t talk medicine in the elevator unless you are alone and most of all keep the faith.