With proud smiles and crisp white coats, ninety-three learners from the DDS Class of 2029 and the International Dentist Pathway Class of 2028 marked the start of their dental careers at the UCSF School of Dentistry's 27th annual White Coat Ceremony. The ceremony took place on Friday, September 19th, at San Francisco's Presidio Theatre in front of a cheering crowd of family and friends.
Dean Michael Reddy, DMD, DMSc, led the event and encouraged the newest members of the dental profession to take every opportunity to learn as much as possible, both in and out of school. "Challenge yourself to learn every day. In an ever-changing world, an agile mind is a great asset. There’s no question that the future practice of dentistry will be dramatically different from today."
Dr. Ted Wong delivers the keynote address.
Ted Wong, DDS, MHA, was the keynote speaker. The immediate past president of the UCSF Dental Alumni Association, Dr. Wong is a retired Army Major General and was the 26th Chief of the Army Dental Corps. He told the learners that to be a highly respected and successful dentist in the 21st century, they should embody the three C's, which he defined as Competence, Commitment, and Character. Of these, he stressed that character is the most vital, as it builds trust.
"Patients are not just a set of teeth. They are people who have placed their sacred trust in us, that we will care for them, heal them, and not harm them. There is also the trust that our Nation has in our profession, and there is the trust that our peers have in us that we will not tarnish the profession. We must maintain this trust."
Dean Reddy congratulates Nicholas Ha, DDS Class of 2029.
Many members of the School of Dentistry community were present at the ceremony. Dr. Jen Perkins announced the students and Drs. Elizabeth Joyce and Richard Lugo helped them don their white coats for the first time.
More than a dozen faculty members were onstage to congratulate them as they officially joined the profession. Dr. Kent Knoernschild then led the newly coated students in reciting the Clinic Induction Pledge.
Roger Mraz, a program administrator in the Office of Graduate and Research Affairs, has attended seventeen White Coat ceremonies at UCSF Dentistry. He said he enjoys the excitement he sees in the faces of the new healthcare providers. "Once they put their coat on, they wear it with a great deal of pride. You can see it in the photos that they take with their families. It's a very significant step."
Congratulations to UCSF's newest dental professionals as they pursue the exceptional careers in oral healthcare that await them.
