Each year dental and dental hygiene students mark the beginning of their entry to patient care with the White Coat Ceremony. Begun at VCU in 1999, the ceremony is symbolic within the health care professions. At the ceremony, students are coated by faculty or family members who are dental health professionals. The presentation of the student’s white coat indicates they accept the serious responsibility for patient care and dedication to the profession.

Immediate family members (spouse or significant other, parents, and/or siblings) of students are invited to share this experience.

White Coat Q & A

What is the White Coat Ceremony?
The significance of the white coat in this ceremony is both symbolic and practical. A white clinic coat is widely associated with the health care profession and symbolizes the students’ new role as a clinician. It also serves the practical purpose of protecting one’s clothing while providing care to patients. After receiving their coats, both groups of students recite their pledge as an oath to uphold the standards of the fields of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene.

Which students are participating in the ceremony?
Second-year Dental and first-year Dental Hygiene students will receive their coats at the ceremony.

When is the ceremony? October 3, 2008 at 1:00 p.m.

Where is the ceremony held?
Kontos Medical Sciences Building Auditorium, 1217 East Marshall Street.

When should students arrive?
Arrive 45 minutes before the ceremony to line up in a timely fashion.

May students invite guests?
Yes, you may invite a limited number of close friends and immediate family members. Students with parents who are dentists or hygienists, may ask the parent to participate as a coater. Please indicate when you register them for invitations, that you would like them to be a coater.

How?
Register your guests by following this link. Enter the names and address for your guests from which address labels will be generated. Please be precise and accurate as the address will be generated directly from the list.

Once the information is in the database, the Dean`s Office will produce the invitations and mail them.

Please let Ruth Compton, Assistant for Communications and PR, know if any of your guests will need special accommodations.

Where can guests park?
Parking is in the Eighth Street Parking Deck at 8th and Duval Streets. The cost is $5.00 for guests.

Is there anything else I need to know?
Participants and guests are invited to a reception in the lobby of the Medical Sciences Building following the ceremony.

What is appropriate attire?
For students? Business attire and bring your clean, pressed clinic coat. For coaters? Business attire. Some coaters wear their white coats.