Jefferson Medical School Holds ''White Coat Ceremony'' for Freshmen

by KYW's Hadas Kuznits

Thomas Jefferson University medical school's annual "donning of the white coats" took place Friday morning in center city Philadelphia: first year medical students were initiated into their journey toward becoming physicians.

Jefferson Medical College dean Tom Nasca says the doctors' white coat symbolizes hard work and trust.

(Nasca:) "It's really the beginning of a medical school career, and it's an introduction to the responsibilities of becoming a physician."

(Female med student:) "We will be connecting with patients, and the patient-doctor relationship is what we need to focus on in our career, as well as the transformation that we're going to be going through for the next four years."

(Kuznits to Nasca:) "These students are putting their coats on for the first time and they're getting very emotional.  Do you see that a lot?"

(Nasca:) "Every year. And the parents are usually more emotional."

(Kuznits to male med student:) "Why is it such an emotional thing to put the coat on?"

(Male med student:) "Because I've wanted to be a doctor for a long time and this is one of the first steps toward that goal."

(Kuznits:) "Now you have, what, 172 more years of school? Something like that?"

(Male med student:) "Yeah, It's like 178 (laughs)."