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. Scroll through this page for highlights from our MD and PA White Coat Ceremonies.

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 ceremonies, leaders conveyed to students that the white coat symbolizes the values of compassion, trust and service.

2026 Winston-Salem White Coat Highlight Film

Winston-Salem Campus

Charlotte Campus

PA Program White Coat Ceremony

The PA program hosted its annual White Coat Ceremony at Wait Chapel on June 26. The event included remarks from program leadership and a keynote by William “Billy” Rice III, MD, a clinical professor of internal medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. With family and friends watching, 76 members of the Class of 2027 walked to the front of the chapel to receive their white coats from program faculty.

The PA White Coat Ceremony recognizes rising second-year students as they transition from their pre-clinical year to their clinical rotations, which began June 29. 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 2027 came to the PA program from 18 states and with an average of 2,620 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.