First-year students at the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) received their white coats during the traditional White Coat Ceremony Sept. 15.

In keeping with tradition, second-year students “coated” 135 students in the Class of 2016, the largest entering class in the medical school’s history. White coat ceremonies are rites of passage for beginning medical students and mark the transition from student to aspiring physician. The ritual encourages a psychological contract that emphasizes professionalism and empathy in the practice of medicine and focuses on the importance of both scientific excellence and compassionate care for the patient.

William G. Anderson, D.O., FACOS, past president of the American Osteopathic Association, was the keynote speaker for the event, which preceded the ribbon cutting and dedication of The Coal Building, KYCOM’s new $40 million educational facility.

The medical school’s annual Primary Care Continuing Medical Education Alumni Weekend, held in conjunction with the White Coat Ceremony each year, focused on women’s health. KYCOM alumni events also included the Founders’ Dinner and John A. Strosnider Memorial Lecture. Former Kentucky State Senator Benny Ray Bailey was the recipient of the 2012 John A. Strosnider, D.O., Memorial Award for his contributions in education and medicine. As a senator, Bailey wrote and sponsored the Osteopathic Scholarship Bill, a law that allows students from Kentucky to attend KYCOM without the burden of additional debt. Available to all Kentucky residents, the scholarship equalizes tuition between KYCOM and state medical schools.
 

First-year medical student Kevin Metzger of Richmond, Va., is congratulated by Boyd R. Buser, D.O., FACOFP, vice president for health affairs and dean of KYCOM (center), and Ray E. Stowers, D.O., FACOFP dist., president of the American Osteopathic Association and vice president and dean of Lincoln Memorial University-Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.