Across the WWAMI region, first-year medical students recently celebrated a milestone that marks the beginning of their journey in medicine: the White Coat Ceremony. At each Foundations site (the first 18-months of medical school) in Washington (Seattle and Spokane), Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho, students were presented with their first white coat, a symbol of trust, responsibility, and commitment to patient care.
Family, friends, faculty, and mentors gathered to witness this moment, honoring the students’ hard work and welcoming them into the profession. The white coat represents not only entry into clinical training but also the values of compassion, professionalism, and service that will guide these students throughout medical school and beyond.
This tradition is a reminder that medicine is about more than knowledge—it is about building relationships and caring for communities. We are proud to celebrate this important step for our newest class of medical students and look forward to the future they will shape as physicians.