Here’s Part #1 to my Reflection Series! Believe it or not, this piece has been sitting in my drafts since August. School got real really fast last semester, but like they say “Better late than never!” Enjoy!
The day has finally come! My White Coat Ceremony is here at last! As I mentioned in the previous post, the white coat ceremony is a rite of passage of your medical journey. The white coat that is given signifies the beginning of your life-long journey in medicine. Even though it’s been a couple days since the ceremony, having a white coat still feels surreal!
On the morning of August 16th, I remember waking up, looking in mirror, and saying, “Today is the day.” Per usual, I did my typical Sunday morning routine of getting ready and live-streaming a service, but this Sunday instead of sitting, I was up pressing my white coat. Even while I was ironing it and making sure that I didn’t overcorrect the creases, I still couldn’t believe that the coat was mine. Even after hanging it up and cutting off the tag attached to the left sleeve, I could not believe it. Since I was up early and Arizona is 3 hours behind Pittsburgh, I didn’t want to wake my family up to my excitement. But as my family does, they show up and even though it was barely 6 am I received calls from both of my parents who I could feel were beaming with pride and joy.
Weeks before the ceremony, we had to give the school a list of emails for evites. Just like any other milestone in my life, my parents gave me a laundry list of names and emails to add to the list. From people who knew me since I was born to the families and friends that we have met along this winding journey that has brought me back to Pittsburgh. They were all on the list. By the time I gave us a cut off we were at 60 emails and they were still coming! At first I only had a list of about five, but as I began to reflect and think back on all the influential people in my life who supported me through my journey their names and faces began to come to mind. The memories, the laughter, and the tears. I was/am so grateful for everyone on that was on that list.
From the time I woke up for 9 am service to the beginning of our ceremony at 1 pm, time was flying by fast. Somehow in between that time, I redid my hair, put on a full face of make up, and even ran up to the store to get some more lashes because mine decided not to cooperate...All of which felt like 15 minutes. Before I knew it, the ceremony I had been eagerly waiting for had begun! Granted, our ceremony wasn’t the traditional experience of gathering in Carnegie Music Hall with a small symphony and a ballet duet en pointe, but it was still just as special. As we logged in, on the side of the screen we could see our loved ones showing out in the comment section of the live-stream hoping that we’d see their comments. The amount of love and support was incomparable in that moment. For a moment in time, we could feel our villages uplift us and each other as we began to embark on this journey.
As we adorned ourselves with our white coats, we knew that the journey ahead of us was just beginning. We knew that we’d be forming friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime. We knew that we were stepping into a field that needs doctors who perceive patients as people more than ever. Lastly, we knew that we were the doctors this generation needs to bring change and to advocate for those who have traditionally been minimized in the healthcare system. We were adorned. We were equipped. We were ready to take on what this journey had for us.
Looking back on this moment, I smile from ear to ear. I remember the faces of my classmates gleaming with excitement and the promise our futures. I remember reciting the Hippocratic Oath, internalizing what it meant, and thinking “Wow, I am here. I have been chosen for this path. I’m following my destiny.” Moments like this have carried me through the long nights studying anatomy and the long days on Zoom. Trust me, the days are long and the weeks are even longer, but before you know it, you’ve made it through the semester and to take on new and challenges!
