Annual White Coat Ceremony Hits Record Attendance

The DCG recently celebrated the White Coat Ceremony (WCC) for the class of 2026 (see header photo). This event welcomes health professional students to the clinical phase of their training and elevates the value of humanism as the core of healthcare. It provides a compelling emphasis on compassion for patients in combination with clinical excellence and professional ethics. The most important element of the ceremony is the oath that students take in front of family members, college leadership and their peers to acknowledge their fundamental obligation of caring for the patient.

The DCG was pleased to enjoy attendance that surpassed our expectations for the event. Encouragement from family, friends and other members of a student’s support network is crucial to success, and it was apparent that our students have scaffolding for their career goals. 

The WCC occurs in almost all medical schools and hundreds of other healthcare training programs nationally. The Medical College of Georgia held its first WCC in 1996, and now nearly every health science program on the Augusta University campus has a ceremony to mark this transition. 

The DCG ceremony is co-sponsored by the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists, to promote ethics, leadership, excellence and professionalism in dentistry. DCG Distinguished Alumni are also invited to participate, as part of their role modeling professional achievement and character.