In ceremonies held on August 22, Stanford Medicine welcomed 119 new students into its medical and physician assistant programs. The white coat ceremony, attended by family and friends, marked the official start of their training as future clinicians.
Siwaar Abouhala, one of the incoming medical students, reflected on her motivation for entering medicine, rooted in her experiences with her grandmother navigating a complex health care system as a non-English-speaking immigrant. “One day, I’m going to cure your diabetes so that you can take less medicine,” Abouhala once told her grandmother. Now the first in her family to attend medical school, she noted: “This day has been generations in the making. I am the first person in my family to graduate from college and now the first to attend medical school – not because no one before me has dreamt of doing so, but because the right mix of luck, privilege, and hard work overlapped in my lifetime.”
The master’s in physician assistant studies program also welcomed 29 new students at a separate ceremony. Theresa Thetford, PA-C, director of the physician assistant program at the University of California, Davis delivered the keynote address. “My message to you today is that medicine is not just about knowledge, it’s about human connection,” Thetford said. “You may memorize every textbook, ace every exam and master every procedure, but if you can’t look a patient in the eye and make them feel heard, seen and safe, then you have missed the point of this program.”
Thetford encouraged students to sustain compassion throughout their rigorous education: “She offered the Dalai Llama’s simple definition of compassion – the wish to see others free from suffering.”
Agusta Little shared how caring for her grandmother shaped her desire to serve communities with limited access to health care. “I was disheartened to find in hospitals that my grandmother… was continuously overshadowed by her diagnoses,” Little said. “It’s hard to believe I’m this close to accomplishing something I once thought was impossible.”
Robin Cadd described an early aspiration toward religious service before discovering a calling as a physician assistant through volunteer work as a crisis hotline counselor and patient advocate. “I realized that I wanted to build a career out of guiding people through their vulnerable moments… I discovered my true calling as a physician assistant,” she said.
At the medical school ceremony, Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of Stanford School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs at Stanford University addressed new students: “You’re entering the field of medicine at an incredible time… never before has there been a greater need for impact in the way that we care for patients… And you’re all going to play… an important role in shaping that vision for the future.” Minor also noted that Stanford’s class size remains steady despite institutional growth: “It’s a tangible indication of how much we value each of you as an individual.”
Ethan Nicholls, MD, president of Stanford Medicine Alumni Association Board of Governors emphasized unity among diverse backgrounds: “You come from different places, disciplines and lived experiences, but you are all united by a shared passion for medicine…”
Isaac Longobardi recalled his experiences growing up in New York City influencing his commitment toward attentive patient care: “I saw what a big difference an attentive clinician can make in the lives of older adults and people with disabilities and chronic illness as they try to access the services they need.”
Before receiving their white coats and stethoscopes—symbols representing professionalism and connection—students learned about their significance from alumni speakers.
At both ceremonies’ conclusion, attendees recited the Stanford Affirmation pledging dedication “to devote their lives to the service of humanity,” emphasizing responsibility within medicine.
“It’s a beautiful tradition because it’s about adopting a lifelong commitment to care – with all the urgency and responsibility that entails,” Longobardi said.
Afterward students celebrated with photos before starting classes on Monday.
