On August 16, the School of Medicine welcomed the 156 students of the Class of 2023 to the University of Virginia at the 2019 White Coat Ceremony and Convocation, endowed by the Class of 1965. This annual event, held at Old Cabell Hall, is presented by the UVA Medical Alumni Association and Medical School Foundation (MAA/MSF) and was attended this year by nearly 900 people.

During the ceremony, Barry Collins, executive director of the MAA/MSF and associate dean for medical alumni affairs, welcomed the new students, families, and attendees. Student speaker Sarah Dudley, SMD’20, president of the School of Medicine’s Mulholland Society, talked to students about the practical and symbolic importance of their white coats. Dean David Wilkes, MD, James Carroll Flippin Professor of Medical Science, stressed that students should not forget the patient when they are learning. When caring for patients, he reminded the students to remember to “see and be seen,” “listen,” and “touch.”

As Randolph Canterbury, MD, senior associate dean for education, read out the 156 student names, college deans Meg Keeley, MD ’92, (Dunglison); John Densmore, MD ‘95, PhD ‘94, Res ‘98, Fel ‘01, (Hunter); Christine Peterson, MD, (Pinn); Sean Reed, MD, Res ’07 (Reed), and Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program Dean Kedes, MD, PhD, assisted the students into their crisp, personally-embroidered white coats.

The ceremony was followed by a reception that was attended by about 500 students and their guests at Newcomb Hall.

Welcome to the University of Virginia, Class of 2023!

To view photos of this event, click here.

To view a video with ceremony highlights, click here.

Story by Brian Murphy
Photos by Coe Sweet