The white coat ceremony ( WCC ) is a ritual in some schools of medicine and other health-related fields that marks the student 's transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences. At some schools, where students begin meeting patients early in their education, the white coat ceremony is held before the first year begins. It is an example of a matriculation . The ritual is a recent invention, first being popularized in the 1990s.
38-466: WCCs typically involve a formal "coating" of students. Over 100 medical schools in the United States now have a WCC, and many students now consider it a rite of passage in the journey toward a healthcare career. Some schools also use this as a graduation from the entire program. According to some, WCCs have taken on a quasi-religious significance which symbolizes a "conversion" of a lay person into
76-514: A French term innovated by the ethnographer Arnold van Gennep in his work Les rites de passage , The Rites of Passage . The term is now fully adopted into anthropology as well as into the literature and popular cultures of many modern languages. In English, Van Gennep's first sentence of his first chapter begins: "Each larger society contains within it several distinctly separate groupings. ... In addition, all these groups break down into still smaller societies in subgroups." The population of
114-566: A change in tradition, introducing students to the Oath before starting their first year of study. This was intended to provide students with well-defined guidelines regarding the expectations and responsibilities appropriate for the medical profession prior to their first day of class. Since its conception at Columbia, the WCC has spread rapidly to schools of medicine , dentistry, pharmacy, osteopathic medicine , optometry, and nursing worldwide. Since starting in
152-427: A description of rites of passage and an organization into types, although in the end he despairs of ever capturing them all: "It is but a rough sketch of an immense picture ...." He is able to find some universals, mainly two: "the sexual separation between men and women, and the magico-religious separation between the profane and the sacred." (Earlier the translators used secular for profane.) He refuses credit for being
190-493: A medical student has to "earn" a long white coat by completing medical school, but other professionals do not have to complete medical school. Rite of passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society . In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of rite de passage ,
228-423: A member of the healthcare profession and is similar to a priest's ordination to the priesthood , although it is notable that the white coat is a recent adoption by the medical profession. However, in many medical schools around the world students begin wearing their white coats during first-year anatomy class, so there is no official white coat ceremony. In the nineteenth century respect for the certainty of science
266-728: A mild form of hazing (usually without physical and sexual abuse), is practiced in some Hungarian secondary schools. First-year junior students are publicly humiliated through embarrassing clothing and senior students branding their faces with marker pens ; it is sometimes also a contest, with the winners usually earning the right to organize the next event. Fraternities and sororities, like other private societies, often have codified initiation ceremonies as ritual separating candidates from members. University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn The University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
304-416: A scale, implying that the lower levels represent "the simplest level of development," he hypothesizes that " social groups in such a society likewise have magico-religious foundations." Many groups in modern industrial society practice customs that can be traced to an earlier sacred phase. Passage between these groups requires a ceremony , or ritual rite of passage . The rest of Van Gennep's book presents
342-408: A society belongs to multiple groups, some more important to the individual than others. Van Gennep uses the metaphor, "as a kind of house divided into rooms and corridors." A passage occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another; in the metaphor, he changes rooms. Van Gennep further distinguishes between "the secular" and "the sacred sphere." Theorizing that civilizations are arranged on
380-416: A survey found that the majority of US pharmacy schools hold WCCs. An Arnold P. Gold Foundation -sponsored version of the WCC, or a similar rite of passage, is currently used by 97 percent of Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)-accredited schools of medicine in the United States, and takes place at medical and osteopathic schools in 13 other countries. In December 2006 the first white coat ceremony
418-406: A white coat because it no longer reliably identifies a physician in a clinical care setting. In general, medical students are prohibited from wearing a long white coat. In many hospitals, non-physicians like phlebotomists, nurses, nurse practitioners, nursing students, physician assistant students, are permitted to wear long coats. Some physicians and medical students have expressed frustration that
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#1732859295156456-564: Is a public university in Olsztyn , Poland . It was established on 1 September 1999, in accordance with the new Statute of Sejm signed by Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski , as well as Minister of Education Mirosław Handke, in August of the same year. Ryszard Górecki became its first chancellor. The Faculty of Theology was established with an agreement between the Polish Episcopate and
494-479: Is celebrated by the Umhlanga . Rites of passage are diverse, and are found throughout many cultures around the world. Many western societal rituals may look like rites of passage but miss some of the important structural and functional components. However, in many Native and African-American communities, traditional rites of passage programs are conducted by community-based organizations such as Man Up Global . Typically
532-417: Is characterized by elaborate rituals and ceremonies, like debutant balls and college graduation, and by outward symbols of new ties: thus "in rites of incorporation there is widespread use of the 'sacred bond', the 'sacred cord', the knot, and of analogous forms such as the belt, the ring, the bracelet and the crown." Laboratory experiments have shown that severe initiations produce cognitive dissonance . It
570-455: Is the period between stages, during which one has left one place or state but has not yet entered or joined the next. "The attributes of liminality or of liminal personae ("threshold people") are necessarily ambiguous." In the third phase (reaggregation or incorporation) the passage is consummated [by] the ritual subject." Having completed the rite and assumed their "new" identity, one re-enters society with one's new status. Re-incorporation
608-500: Is theorized that such dissonance heightens group attraction among initiates after the experience, arising from internal justification of the effort used. Rewards during initiations have important consequences in that initiates who feel more rewarded express stronger group identity. As well as group attraction, initiations can also produce conformity among new members. Psychology experiments have also shown that initiations increase feelings of affiliation . Aronson and Mills tested
646-851: The Arnold P. Gold Foundation for Humanism in Medicine partnered with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to pilot the White Coat Ceremony at nursing schools. On July 13, 2017, the medical school of the University Of Tripoli became the first Libyan University to introduce this event. On September 18, 2019, the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis became the first in Tunisia to introduce this ritual in collaboration with Hygie Organization for
684-536: The "Contemporary Adventure Model of a Rites of Passage" as a modern and weaker version of the rites of passage typically used by outdoor adventure programs. In various tribal and developed societies, entry into an age grade —generally gender-separated—(unlike an age set ) is marked by an initiation rite , which may be the crowning of a long and complex preparation, sometimes in retreat. Some academic circles such as dorms, fraternities, teams and other clubs practice hazing , ragging and fagging . Szecskáztatás ,
722-475: The Festinger's (1957) theory of cognitive dissonance by having three groups read either embarrassing material, not very embarrassing material, or nothing at all to a group. Aronson and Mills summarized Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance as such when discussing the rationale for their study: "No matter how attractive a group is to a person it is rarely completely positive, i.e., usually there are some aspects of
760-514: The Promotion of Ethics. In years past, white coats were generally reserved for attending or faculty physicians who wore long white coats, resident physicians who wore long or medium-length coats, and medical students, who wore short white coats. Increasingly, non-physicians and non-medical students wear white coats in the hospital setting. Some physicians recommend against wearing a white coat for infection control reasons, but other physicians don't wear
798-460: The US, several medical schools in countries outside of the United States (such as Iran , Israel, Canada, Dominican Republic , Brazil and Poland ) have also started holding WCCs. The ceremony is no longer limited to medical students; starting in 1995, US pharmacy schools started holding WCCs, with the difference that most pharmacy students receive their coats at the end of their first academic year. In 2003
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#1732859295156836-552: The Università del Piemonte Orientale "Amedeo Avogadro" in Novara became the first Italian medical school to introduce a white coat ceremony for its third-year students. On October 5, 2012, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Gr. T. POPA" of Iasi , Romania , became the first Romanian university to integrate this ritual, for its first-year medical students, into
874-517: The ceremony for its incoming Bachelor of Pharmacy students. On April 29, 2011, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn was the first medical school in Poland, that has introduced the White Coat Ceremony. In September 2011, Jagiellonian University in Kraków became the first medical school in Poland to introduce a white coat ceremony for the incoming class. On February 28, 2011, the Faculty of Medicine at
912-406: The detachment of the individual or group ... from an earlier fixed point in the social structure." There is often a detachment or "cutting away" from the former self in this phase, which is signified in symbolic actions and rituals. For example, the cutting of the hair for a person who has just joined the army. He or she is "cutting away" the former self: the civilian. The transition (liminal) phase
950-593: The first German-speaking University to integrate this ritual into its programme. Initiated by then-student representative Hormos Salimi Dafsari in Cologne, the ceremony has been spread to various German cities such as Leipzig and Halle via channels of the German Medical Students' Association (bvmd). On April 12, 2010, the University of Queensland 's (Australia) School of Pharmacy became the first in Australia to adopt
988-471: The first full-fledged ceremony was at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1993. In 1993, Dr. Arnold P. Gold , a teacher and pediatric neurologist, created the first full-fledged WCC at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Before this ceremony, medical students typically received the Hippocratic Oath for the first time at commencement. This ceremony marks
1026-506: The first to recognize type of rites. In the work he concentrates on groups and rites individuals might normally encounter progressively: pregnancy, childbirth, initiation, betrothal, marriage, funerals and the like. He mentions some others, such as the territorial passage, a crossing of borders into a culturally different region, such as one where a different religion prevails. Rites of passage have three phases: separation, liminality, and incorporation, as van Gennep described. "I propose to call
1064-746: The government, in the presence of Cardinal Józef Glemp and religious figures. The university's first academic year started in October 1999. The core structure of the university was based on an agreement between the academic senates of three institutions of higher learning already established in the city: the Academy of Agriculture and Technology, the Pedagogical Institute, and the Warmia Institute of Theology. The university has 16 faculties, out of which eight hold full academic rights and therefore entitle
1102-490: The group as more attractive than those who read the mildly embarrassing material or nothing at all. Another study using mathematical subtraction tasks reached the opposite conclusion but research using electrical shocks supported the concept that suffering increased the degree to which participants liked the group. Initiation rites are seen as fundamental to human growth and development as well as socialization in many African communities. These rites function by ritually marking
1140-439: The group that the individual does not like. If he has undergone an unpleasant initiation to gain admission to the group, his cognition that he has gone through an unpleasant experience for the sake of membership is dissonant with his cognition that there are things about the group that he does not like. He can reduce this dissonance in two ways. He can convince himself that the initiation was not very unpleasant, or he can exaggerate
1178-538: The missing piece is the societal recognition and reincorporation phase. Adventure education programs, such as Outward Bound , have often been described as potential rites of passage. Pamela Cushing researched the rites of passage impact upon adolescent youth at the Canadian Outward Bound School and found the rite of passage impact was lessened by the missing reincorporation phase. Bell (2003) presented more evidence of this lacking third stage and described
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1216-436: The positive characteristics of the group and minimize its negative aspects. With increasing severity of initiation it becomes more and more difficult to believe that the initiation was not very bad. Thus, a person who has gone through a painful initiation to become a member of a group should tend to reduce his dissonance by over estimating the attractiveness of the group." Those who read the severely embarrassing material perceived
1254-414: The rites of separation from a previous world, preliminal rites , those executed during the transitional stage liminal (or threshold) rites , and the ceremonies of incorporation into the new world postliminal rites ." In the first phase, people withdraw from their current status and prepare to move from one place or status to another. "The first phase (of separation) comprises symbolic behavior signifying
1292-685: The symbolism of developing as a physician. On October 8, 2012, the Medical University of Graz became the first university in Austria to celebrate a white coat ceremony of its third-year students. On December 6, 2012, the School of Medicine at the All American Institute of Medical Sciences, Jamaica, became the first in Jamaica to introduce this ritual, for its Basic Sciences medical students. In 2014
1330-544: The transition of someone to full group membership. It also links individuals to the community and the community to the broader and more potent spiritual world. Initiation rites are "a natural and necessary part of a community, just as arms and legs are natural and necessary extension of the human body". These rites are linked to individual and community development. Dr. Manu Ampim identifies five stages; rite to birth, rite to adulthood, rite to marriage, rite to eldership and rite to ancestorship. In Zulu culture, entering womanhood
1368-448: The university to operate as an autonomous unit. The University Library is a unit of University structure which performs teaching and research assignments, as well as provides services to other units. It is a scientific library accessible to everyone. Its book collection is the result of amalgamating the libraries of partner schools, including the seminary library, whose history dates back to the 16th century. The library building situated on
1406-724: Was held by Fatima Jinnah Dental College (FJDC), in Karachi , Pakistan . In October 2008 the white coat ceremony was held at the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, it was the first ceremony held in The Netherlands. In 2011 Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam also participated in holding the ceremony at their medical faculty. On October 13, 2010, the faculty of medicine at the University of Cologne, Germany, became
1444-509: Was in stark contrast to the quackery and mysticism of nineteenth-century medicine. To emphasize the transition to the more scientific approach to modern medicine, physicians sought to represent themselves as scientists and began to wear the most recognizable symbol of the scientist - the white laboratory coat. This led to the more recent association of the white coat with medicine since its continued adoption. WCCs originated in University of Chicago 's Pritzker School of Medicine in 1989, but
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