HMS Dean Jeffery S. Flier welcomed 200 incoming medical and dental students to HMS during orientation on Aug. 16. In addition to Flier and other speakers, Dean for Medical Education Jules Dienstag addressed the class prior to White Coat Day ceremonies held by each of five academic student societies.
“The donning of the coat,” said Dienstag, “signifies a remarkably important transition in your lives. By accepting these coats, you officially step into the world of doctoring and medicine: The beginning of your career in medicine.”
Society masters presented each student a white coat purchased by the Aesculapian Club. The entire class of 2015 then attended their first patient clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and finished the day at a celebration with their families.
Graduates of 66 colleges, entering students hail from 33 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and seven foreign countries. Minority students constitute 53 percent of the class; 47 percent are women. Thirty students are enrolled in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program.
