The Ultimate Symbol of Becoming a Doctor
Future doctors to receive first white coats
The white coat is one of the most visible symbols of the health care provider, and
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine students
of the Class of 2020 took part in the White Coat Ceremony on July 29 at the Lubbock
Memorial Civic Center Theatre.
The White Coat Ceremony stresses the importance of humanism and professionalism in the practice of medicine. The white coat has been the visual hallmark of physicians since the 19th century. This tradition for first-year medical students marks the student’s transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences.
Steven L. Berk, M.D., TTUHSC executive vice president, provost and dean of the School of Medicine, said more than 100 medical schools in the United States now have a white coat ceremony and many students consider it a rite of passage in the journey toward a health care career.
“For many students, dreams of putting on the white coat begin the day they are accepted into medical school. The coat symbolizes that the years of hard work and dedication have finally paid off,” Berk said. “The student’s white coat also symbolizes that they have been invited into the prestigious profession of medicine, a privilege which comes with great professional responsibility.”
The 182 new medical students include 34 from Texas Tech University, 18 from University of Texas Southwestern, 13 from Baylor University along with graduates from Cornell University, Duke University, Emory University, Stanford University, Georgetown University, University of Notre Dame, Yale University, U.S. Air Force Academy and Vanderbilt University among many others.
Related Stories
Molecular Pathology Preceptorship: Unmatched Value and Experience
Ericka Hendrix, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, Program Director and Associate Professor in the Master of Science in Molecular Pathology program in the School of Health Professions spoke about the program’s preceptorship.
Moseley Named Permian Basin Regional Dean of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing
Kelly Moseley, DHSc, R.N., has been named the TTUHSC School of Nursing regional dean in the Permian Basin.
TTUHSC School of Nursing to Celebrate New YWCA Location
Community members in central Lubbock now have access to health care services and prenatal programs at one location inside the YWCA.
Recent Stories
TTUHSC Researchers Seek Novel Therapies for Chronic Pain
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the NIH recently awarded a $1.94 million grant to Mahmoud Salama Ahmed, Ph.D., and his project team from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at TTUHSC. Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy.
TTUHSC and TTUHSC El Paso Named to National Academy of Inventors Top 100
For the third consecutive year in a row, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) ranked the Texas Tech University System (TTU System) among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents for 2024. The TTU System, which includes Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and TTUHSC El Paso, ranked 75th.
TTUHSC Recognizes Student Research During Amarillo Research Symposium
More than 100 student and trainee researchers from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) presented research findings at the 2025 Student Research Day on April 11.