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The white coat is a symbol, a uniform that I will begin to grow into. It's not magical. Over the years, I must earn the respect that the coast brings. It will take countless hours of reading, listening, practicing, and healing for the coat to fit.
-Maria Masciello, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
When I put on my white coat, I am reminded that I am committed to a profession that has the unique ability to strengthen patients both physically and emotionally. My white coat will allow me to use my knowledge to understand the complexity of the human body, while also offering hope to the human soul. Patients hope that their needs will be understood and that one day their devastating diseases will be curable. As a future physician, I am humbled knowing that I am entrusted with the responsibilities of caring for patients and offering them the hope that they need to move past their illnesses. My white coat is a privilege to wear and serves as a reminder that I must strive to provide patients with the hope, the strength, and the cure.
-Leanna Mantella, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
During the White Coat Ceremony, I couldn't help but smile as I looked around at my future colleagues. We were welcomed into the world of medicine and received our team uniform: the white coat. Although our paths to medical school all looked different, these uniforms now unite us as we step forward together. My white coat - and those of my classmates - means I've joined the healthcare team and will work with physicians, nurses, technicians, and most importantly, my patients, to cultivate a collaborative environment where healing prevails.
-Karin Collins, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
My dream of becoming a physician began when I was in high school. My experiences inspired my passion for women's health and led me to begin envisioning myself one day providing great health care and advocating for my patients. When I wear my white coat, I'm reminded of the years of hard work and dedication it took for me to be here, and humbled by the prospect of patients entrusting me to journey with them on their way to wellness and healing. My white coat is a symbol of heartfelt compassion for my patients and belief in myself in turning my dreams into my reality.
-Jennifer Gyamfi, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
-Imanyah Hilliard, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
Father Fitzgibbons, President of Regis University, once told me that as graduates of a Jesuit university, the diploma we receive does not actually belong to us. Certainly we have earned it, but the degree we're awarded and the skills and knowledge we've acquired truly belongs to those who we will serve with it. The education we have received belongs to the lives that we will touch, the people we will impact. I have kept this design in my heart and I vow to take the amazing gift of my education to lead positive change in the world around me.
-Kate Wallerius, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
To heal someone is to love them as well, and I am reminded of this every time I don my white coat. As a physician healer it will be my responsibility to help to the best of my ability any and every person that walks into my office, and by extension to love them for the simple reason that they too are human. As people, threats to our health are often the scariest, most vulnerable moments in life. I can imagine no greater joy or honor than to be able to help people turn these moments of fear into a lifetime of happiness through better health. My white coat reminds me of the incredible faith that society has placed in me, entrusting me with this immense privilege of serving its people. In return, I promise to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to improving the lives of all of those in need. I promise to listen and to understand the needs of my patients in order to help them achieve their desired outcome. And more than anything, I promise to love every single one of them, and to let this love guide me in applying my skills towards creating a healthier, happier world for all.
-Alex Webb, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
While growing up in Albania, I watched the women in my family cultivate a life around their husband and children. There were no opportunities for them to receive an education or employment.
After immigrating to the U.S., I fiercely pursued education as a way to empower myself. I am proud to stand here in my white coat and vow to work tirelessly for the next four years so I can become a doctor. I owe it to myself of course but also to the women in my family who might never know what its like to sail your own ship.
-Griselda Potka, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
At first I was tempted to write this coat means "I can do it!" But the more I thought about it, the less that statement resonated with me. I didn't get here alone, nor will I be able to make it through alone. This coat is worn by me, but it is representative of an entire community alongside me: a community of physicians, students, parents, friends, and family, passionate and ready to serve.
-Marilyn McGowan, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
The early years of my life were spent in Providence, RI, where I was born, and at the age of seven I had the opportunity to move to Ghana. Both of my parents are originally from Ghana, and growing up they instilled a deep sense of pride in my heritage in me. As the child of a doctor, during my time in Ghana, I was always acutely aware of the deficiencies in the healthcare system. Despite its best efforts, the system was unable to provide quality care to large segments of the population. Right in front of me people were dying from preventable and treatable illnesses. Guided by my faith, I immediately knew that I wanted to go into medicine so that I could one day make a positive impact on my second home.
Coming to Georgetown University, I had the opportunity to grow in my devotion to God through my Catholic faith, and pursue my interests in a way which reflected my desire to serve others. After my years at Georgetown's undergraduate and graduate schools, I am so excited to be a member of the Georgetown School of Medicine's Class of 2020, and thrilled to call it home for another 4 years.
-Allison Taylor, MD Candidate, Class of 2020
