On Becoming a Physician Ceremony

As a new M.D. student or M.D./Ph.D. student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, your medical career officially begins when you take part in the On Becoming a Physician Ceremony. Our deans, faculty, and alumni take part in awarding you the white coat, an annual rite of passage for future doctors where you pledge a commitment to the compassionate practice of medicine. The ceremony establishes standards for you to uphold on your path to becoming a physician.  

At the event, students are “cloaked” in their first white coat by an Einstein alumnus. Together as a class, students recite the Class Oath for the first time, which emphasizes the primacy of the doctor–patient relationship. This milestone, also known as the White Coat Ceremony, was created by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 1993 and is held each year at medical schools across the country.

Einstein’s alumni association provides all entering students with a white coat for the ceremony, so you are not required to purchase one. The office of student life provides details to all incoming students about how families can register to attend the event or watch a livestream.