White Coat Ceremony

Symbolizing the highest standards of excellence and professionalism in medicine.

The White Coat Ceremony symbolizes the beginning of the student’s journey towards becoming a medical professional and emphasizes the values of compassion, trust, professionalism and ethical responsibility.

MD White Coat Ceremony

Wake Forest University School of Medicine welcomed 194 new medical students across two campuses: 145 at the Winston Salem Campus, and 49 at the new Charlotte Campus. This year students were welcomed at two White Coat Ceremonies. The Winston Salem Campus had their ceremony at the historic Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University. The Charlotte Campus had their ceremony at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Uptown Charlotte. During these events, first-year medical students received their white coats which signifies the start of their journeys to become physicians. Over the next few weeks, students will continue to meet their new classmates, deans, and faculty and begin their training.

During the ceremony, leaders convey to students that the white coat symbolizes the values of compassion, trust and service.

Winston-Salem Campus

Charlotte Campus

PA Program White Coat Ceremony

The PA program hosted its annual white coat ceremony at Wait Chapel on June 27. The ceremony honored 86 rising second-year students as they transitioned from their pre-clinical year to their clinical rotations, which began June 30. PA students complete core rotations in family medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, women’s health, pediatrics, internal medicine, and behavioral health, as well as three elective rotations chosen from a variety of specialties.

Students from the Class of 2026 came to the PA program from 22 states and with an average of 3,467 hours of direct patient care. We wish them the best as they take their knowledge and skills to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care alongside their preceptors and teams.