Thirty first-year Montana WWAMI students marked an important milestone in their medical journey at the White Coat Ceremony in Bozeman on September 12, 2025. As each student donned the white coat for the first time, they embraced the responsibilities, standards, and commitments expected of a physician.
For Matt and Annie Waldum, the ceremony was especially meaningful as they begin this journey side by side as siblings in the same class.
“To me, the White Coat Ceremony was a celebration and a formal introduction into the field of medicine,” Matt said. “It seemed like a rite of passage into becoming a physician.”
“One of the speakers reminded us that it’s not just about wearing the coat, but also what you choose to do in it,” Annie said. “That message really stuck with me because the coat represents service, humility, and the commitment to always put patients first.”
Originally from Gillette, Wyoming, the Waldums have called Montana home for the past seven years, living in both Livingston and Bozeman. Matt felt drawn to medicine early on after seeing the difference his childhood pediatrician made in his community.
“I realized that doctors get to help people in a way that is unique and more importantly, their goal is to help make you the best version of yourself,” he said. “I never wanted to do anything else.”
The path to medicine for Matt and Annie has been shaped by both professional experiences and personal loss.
“My passion deepened through my years in cancer research, my work as a medical assistant, including time in a rural urgent care, and most profoundly, walking alongside my mom in her journey with metastatic breast cancer,” Annie said.
Their mother passed away six months before the ceremony.
“While she couldn’t be there in person, we carry her strength and encouragement with us every day,” Annie said. “She was so proud to see us get into medical school, and we know she would have been proud of this moment, too. Having Dad there made it all the more meaningful.”
“Walking across the stage and getting my coat, I felt the spirit of my mom and the pride my dad has in me,” Matt added. “Our parents were always supportive and pushed us to chase our dreams.”
Their parents, lifelong educators, instilled in them the values of curiosity, service, and hard work. The siblings are grateful to have each other as classmates and companions in the challenges ahead.
“Going to medical school with my sister is a blast! I always have a built-in study-buddy and someone to bounce ideas off of,” Matt said.
“He’s my built-in support system, study partner, and occasional comic relief,” Annie added. “I wouldn’t want to navigate the ups and downs of medical school with anyone else.”