Family, friends, and Yale School of Medicine (YSM) community members gathered on the Harkness Lawn on August 5, to celebrate the 104 members of YSM’s incoming MD Class of 2028 at their White Coat Ceremony. As Paris Butler, MD, MPH, associate professor of surgery (plastic) and vice chair of inclusive excellence for the Department of Surgery, stated in his keynote address, the white coat symbolizes the students’ “entry into our beloved medical profession.” Butler further described how “this coat represents a promise to uphold the highest standards of care, to approach each patient with compassion, and to continuously strive for excellence in the care of humankind. It is a symbol of trust that patients place in you, and of the profound responsibility you are now proudly assuming.”
Listening and curiosity
Unbiased, science-driven care of the individual was the theme of the ceremony. In her welcoming remarks, Nancy J. Brown, MD, Jean and David W. Wallace Dean and C.N.H. Long Professor of Internal Medicine, noted that at the end of the ceremony, the students would recite the White Coat Pledge, committing to serve their patients. She stated, “Acknowledging the dignity of the individual patient is fundamental to our profession and supersedes all other ideologies. It requires curiosity, listening more than speaking.” Brown continued, “As we begin this academic year, at a time of great polarization in our country, I derive hope that you will listen to each other and the diverse members of our community as you,” (quoting from their White Coat Pledge) 'pledge to communicate effectively, respectfully, and compassionately and to conduct ourselves in accordance professional and ethical standards,' and 'vow to recognize the influence of our biases and to challenge ourselves.'”
Butler echoed this point in his keynote, telling the students, “You are stepping into a profession where we take an oath to respect patients' rights and decisions, maintain confidentiality, and uphold the medical profession's honor and many traditions. It also includes a promise to not allow factors like race, gender, religion, whom a person loves, socioeconomic status, or political persuasions to interfere with a physician's duty to their patients.” Butler added, “I would argue that at this institution the Hippocratic Oath is not simply a statement we recite as a guiding principle, but it is truly a daily commitment.”
Butler, who said he has "the best job in the world, serving the tripartite mission of academic medicine,” patient care, research, and education, also spoke about the fulfillment of a career in medicine. Referring to Malcolm Gladwell’s assertion in the book Outliers that work must be complex, must yield significant independence, and there must be a direct correlation between effort and reward to be meaningful, Butler stated, “I would argue that very few fields beyond your newly chosen profession more appropriately fit that ‘meaningful’ billing.”
Three take-home points
Butler closed his remarks with “three take-home points” for the students to consider. The first was advice that Clarion Johnson, MD ‘76 had provided to Butler as he transitioned to medical school: “Think of medical school as a job. Get up early, commit yourself to learning every day, and put in ‘overtime.’”
His second point: “Remember that you are on your own timetable,” but “ensure you’re always moving forward.” Butler shared his own path, which included training for 12 years after medical school, which for him “worked out perfectly,” because “the entire time I was progressing towards my goal of becoming an academic plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a departmental vice chair.” Emphasizing that others do not have to train for this long, he encouragingly advised the students, “your serpentine path can be a beautiful one, just make it your path and be less concerned about the duration, as long as you’re always progressing towards your desired destination, even if right now it seems aspirational at best.”
For his final point, Butler focused on patient-centered care. “Remember your privilege as a physician and use it for good,” he said, noting that physicians play a “pivotal role in saving lives, promoting health, and alleviating suffering.” He continued, “With this privilege comes responsibility and I implore you to never forget the human element of your work. Listening to your patients, understanding their fears and hopes, and treating them with kindness is as important as any surgical or clinical skill you will ever provide.”
Incoming students from 19 countries
After the keynote, the students were called to the podium one-by-one, where faculty helped them don their white coat. Each student also received a stethoscope, a traditional gift from the Association of Yale Alumni in Medicine (AYAM). J. McLeod (Mac) Griffiss, MD ’66, immediate past president of the AYAM, and Alexander (Alexi) Nazem, ’04, MD ’12, chair of agents for the YSM Alumni Fund, presented the stethoscopes on behalf of alumni donors. In the pocket of each white coat was a note of welcome from that student’s stethoscope donor.
As Brown noted in her remarks, 29 students in the Class of 2028 were born outside the United States, in 19 different countries—Argentina, Cameroon, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Great Britian, India, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines, Serbia, South Africa, and South Korea. Brown also shared that the class comes from 49 undergraduate colleges, and nearly 10% are the first in their families to achieve a college education.
“In every sense, you bring diversity to this school,” Brown told the new students, adding, “You are here because of who you are as individuals and who we think you have the potential to become as physicians and scientists.”