MD White Coat Ceremony
White Coat Ceremony
Friday, October 3, 2025
Watch the recording »
The white coat is a symbol of integrity, professionalism, trust and hope for the future. It’s simultaneously a new beginning and the culmination of years of hard work.
Following an intensive orientation program, the White Coat Ceremony welcomes incoming medical students to WashU Medicine and to the medical profession. Read more about the 2025 ceremony »
First-year medical students at WashU Medicine received their white coats Oct. 3, 2025. Video by Katie Gertler/WashU Medicine.
The symbol of a profession
At the White Coat Ceremony, incoming students receive their white coats from WashU Medicine faculty members, then take an oath — one they have written as a class — pledging honesty and integrity in their practice of medicine. Family and friends are invited to witness as students take their first symbolic step into the medical profession.
The White Coat Ceremony at WashU Medicine is supported in part by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which works with students and professionals to instill a culture of humanism in medicine. Humanism in medicine is characterized by respect, dignity and compassion for patients, with sensitivity to the diverse values and backgrounds of others.
Coverage of past ceremonies
The White Coat Ceremony is a long-standing tradition at WashU Medicine.
See photos and stories from recent years »
Photo: Medical students celebrate receiving their new white coats.