White coat ceremony symbolic of progress

DDS Class of 2021

As of May 1^st forty-two more students are donning a white coat. Anxious and a bit nervous to start working on patients, students say they are happy to be at a place in their program where they can start putting their didactic skills and knowledge into practice.

"We now have the responsibility of building on our education by learning how to be good communicators, how to respect and listen to our patients, and how to combine these abilities with our knowledge to deliver the best possible patient-centred care," said Taylor Ruether, class of 2021.

Although dressing for success and/or 'for the part, or job you want' is a phrase we use to refer to career advancement, it isn't the dress that makes you a leader, but how you behave. So the ceremony isn't about receiving a white coat, it's about recognizing our student's pride, progress, and professionalism in the program.

Dr. Blaine Aucoin, Comprehensive Care Director and Associate Chair, Student Affairs, charged the students to consider what leadership means in the context of transforming from student clinician to dental professional.

"Class of 2021, my charge to you is to be leaders as a dental professional and as a person. Embrace the concept of teamwork to achieve optimal oral health for your patients," said Aucoin.

"Today's ceremony is a rite of passage and symbolizes our professional development," said Nicole Robins, class of 2021. "In this moment, we are being called upon to accept and embody the virtues of the profession of dentistry; empathy, nobility, honesty, respect, and responsibility."

"We accept this charge," said both Robins and Ruether proudly.

Congratulations class of 2021!