What’s In Your White Coat?

Below is a smattering of photos collected by M3 Anna Tarasidis depicting what her classmates carry in their white coat pockets. This Sunday is the Class of 2022’s White Coat Ceremony, in which they will receive their white coats and recite their Class of 2022 White Coat Oath for the first time together. With a careful balance of respect and celebration, this day is an important reminder of the magnitude of the profession of medicine.

Class of 2020 White Coat Oath
Today, I acknowledge the strenuous preparation, persistence, and excellence required by the field upon which I am about to enter. I affirm that I will never falter in my commitment to my patients, colleagues, or myself. Through constant diligence, I will improve and innovate; accepting that knowledge is boundless. My predecessors stand as invaluable resources, and will always be shown the due respect with which their experience affords. And as I grow as a professional, I vow to remember the service and compassion on which medicine was built.

In donning this white coat, I accept the lifelong obligation to acknowledge my limitations, seek guidance, and welcome criticism with humility. Emulating the strength and perspective of my patients, I will strive to self-improve and will embrace suggestions from colleagues, fellow practitioners, and patients.

On this day, I promise to always recognize a part of myself in those I serve, and to maintain a personal investment in the health of my community. I vow to look past an array of symptoms, a diagnosis, or a set of unforeseen circumstances in order to see every individual as deserving of my greatest care. I promise to carry myself with dignity, and listen intently with an open mind and heart. I will never infringe on the autonomy or privacy of those who seek aid from me. I will work to break through barriers that prevent effective treatment to encourage, advocate for, and protect the health, safety, and rights of every patient. I shall serve those who are sick with the totality of my ability, forsaking discrimination and prejudice, because I recognize a health care system that extends beyond disease.

Furthermore, I accept that medicine is an imperfect science; a place where knowledge and procedure become intertwined with life. I am dedicated to healing with more than just knowledge, as doctoring is an art that encompasses physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I commit to being brave for my fearful patients and will approach their care with confidence and compassion.  I vow to seek the most economical path for their health, and integrate all of their beliefs and desires into treatment plans.

With this oath, I hereby commit to the diligence, moral clarity, and ingenuity asked of me. I wholeheartedly accept the promises I have made today; for the betterment of myself, my patients, and medicine as a whole.

Anna Tarasidis is a native of Greenwood, SC, and graduated in Bioengineering from Clemson University in 2016. You can most likely find her out on a hike, deep in some Netflix, loving on somebody’s dog, or, let’s be honest, in the library. She has a passion for people, whether by mentoring or teaching or just through a simple conversation.