Class of 2019 Put On Their White Coats

Members of the Class of 2019 after receiving their white coats. PHOTO BY HARVARD STUDIOS

It was rule number eight of Dr. Anthony Volpe’s “Ten Rules of Being a Great Dental Student,’’ which he recited at last month’s White Coat Ceremony.

“Remember that your career of choice, the dental profession, begins tonight, not after you graduate,’’ said Volpe, an alumnus of the Class of 1960, the first graduating class in the school's history.

The White Coat Ceremony, held annually for first-year students, provides a symbolic welcome to the medical profession.

One by one, the 114 members of the Class of 2019, marched to the dias, where classmates helped them don the coats, stitched with their names and the RSDM logo. Later, they recited the Dental Oath.

“I hope you’ll remember this day as a defining moment in your life,’’ Dean Cecile A. Feldman told the students.

The white coat represents  professionalism, compassion and trust. While medical school students have been holding white coat ceremonies for decades, it’s still a relatively new trend among dental schools. RSDM was one of the first dental schools in the nation to hold one, Dr. Kim Fenesy, Senior Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, told the audience.

“This ceremony is an integral part of your dental education,’’ she added. “It’s also a night for you and your families to feel overwhelming pride.’’

Dr. Brian Strom, Chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, commended the students for their decision to pursue dentistry. “You made two great choices: Rutgers and dental medicine,’’ he said. “You are joining an institution at the forefront of many changes.’’

Keynote speaker Dr. Ivan Georgiev, Class of 2013, reassured the class that,  while dental school could be grueling, an RSDM education ensures that they’ll be well-prepared. “Not once since I went to work did I say I wasn’t ready or didn’t know what to do. Every task I was prepared for and ready to tackle,’’ said Georgiev, an oral and maxillofacial surgery resident at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson.

Also during the ceremony, some award-winners were announced. Dr. Joel Pascuzzi received the Faculty Professionalism Award, which was bestowed for the first time this year. Chelsea Rajagopalan, a third-year student, received the Student Professionalism Award.