Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) class of 2018
"My charge to you, the class of 2018, is to carry forth and maintain and enrich the attributes of professionalism, integrity, compassion and honesty that are the foundation of our profession," said Tom Stevenson, associate chair of student affairs from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry's School of Dentistry. "Do you accept this charge?"
The Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) class of 2018 formally accepted the traditional charge at the school's annual White Coat Ceremony. During this event, the students are presented with white lab coats which symbolize their move from didactic learning to clinical practice.
"The journey that led us to this ceremony hasn't been easy," said Jennifer Yu, DDS 2018. "In fact, it's been long and arduous, like the running course of that splenic and facial artery. Through a challenging two years, we attended hundreds of lectures, put in countless hours in the lab and crammed as much knowledge in our brains as we could handle."
The students accepting the charge on behalf of the DDS 2018 class, Jennifer Yu and Ann Ma, acknowledged all of the individuals who inspired and helped shape who they have become today.
"We would like to thank all of our mentors for their patience and dedication―to all the lab instructors and professors who didn't give up on us when we just couldn't seem to get it right," they said.
"The ceremony symbolizes a move towards patient care," explained Paul Major, lead of the School of Dentistry. "We hope that once the students step into the role of a clinician, they will feel a sense of accountability and awareness that they are now part of an integral team of health-care practitioners providing care to people in need."
"We look forward to facing the challenges to come, the opportunities to learn from mentors as well as our colleagues," said Ma. "It is our privilege to accept these white coats today as a symbol of a new stage of our lives as clinicians. The acceptance of our white coats truly represents the immense responsibilities that come with our fast-approaching clinical education and, ultimately, patient care."