Future doctors studying at the Clovis campus of California Health Sciences University received their traditional white coats in a special program on Saturday.

The CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine hosted ceremonies for medical students in the classes of 2024 and 2025 at Paul Shaghoian Memorial Concert Hall.

Nearly 200 Medical Students Recognized

A total of 199 medical students from the two classes were recognized.

The white coat ceremony signifies a rite of passage to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care at the very start of medical training, CHSU officials said.

Watch: CHSU White Coat Ceremony

Family and friends of students attended to offer support and encouragement. The event for students in the class of 2024 was postponed a year ago due to COVID.

White Coats Signify ‘Professionalism and Humanism’

Dr. John Graneto, the school’s dean, addressed students and talked about the history of the white coat and how work clothing for physicians has changed throughout the years.

He will also emphasized the importance of maintaining professionalism and humanism in healthcare careers.

“You develop your professionalism through relationships, reflection, and resilience; these are things you wear even when not in a white coat,” Graneto said. He added that the coat should remind the future doctors attending CHSU of the honor that comes from providing care for others.

Olympic Team Physician Offers Keynote

The keynote was given by Dr. Rebeccah Rodriguez Regner, who serves on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee as a Team USA physician.

The white coats were sponsored by the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California, an organization focused on advancing and supporting osteopathic physicians in the state.

California Health Sciences University also offers a doctorate degree through its college of pharmacy.

(Darius Assemi, the publisher of GV Wire, is a member of the CHSU board of trustees.)