2024 White Coat Ceremony
On Saturday, March 2, 2024, one hundred forty-nine (149) LSU Health Shreveport second-year medical students received their short white coat symbolizing their journey to the long white coat they will wear once they are a physician. After the white coat was placed on each student’s shoulders, the Hippocratic Oath was recited, and students were welcomed warmly by academic leadership, faculty, and peers.
An Oath
As I now enter into the area of my medical education where I will progressively increase my interactions with patients; I acknowledge and accept the privileges and responsibilities given to me as a physician in training; As a member of the health care team, I will be present at my assigned duty, and will not fail to do my share in the care of our patients; I will approach my medical education with integrity and will support my classmates; I will respectfully acknowledge my teachers, be they faculty or other health care professionals; Likewise, I will respectfully acknowledge my patients, at whose bedside I will learn; I commit myself to a lifetime of learning both in the art of science of medicine, to better serve my patients; I will attend to all my patients with competence, without bias toward any, and with compassion toward all; I will safeguard their trust, will respect their secrets which are confided in me, and will serve as their advocate; I will communicate with honesty, kindness and understanding; I will acknowledge my limitations, and will act responsibly within the bounds of my training; I will work to learn to cure disease where possible and to prevent disease where opportunity permits; I will promote and protect the health of the public as well as that of my patients; I will not forget the importance of my own well-being and the well-being of those close to me; These pledges I make freely and upon my honor.
