With proud family and friends seated behind them, with those who will teach and guide them over the next four years in front of them, and with their dean inviting them to “celebrate your accomplishments,” 183 new students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine gathered on July 26 for their Class of 2028 Matriculation Ceremony.
The road to receiving their medical degrees will be long and arduous. But speaker after speaker urged the students to appreciate the effort and dedication that brought them to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, and to take time out from their hard work to reflect, seek out help if they need it, feel gratitude, and enjoy themselves.
→ CU School of Medicine Matriculation 2024: Student Profiles and More
The new students come from 27 states, and 27 come from other countries. Ten were the first in their families to attend college. They were chosen out of 10,003 applicants.
The students were greeted by a new dean, John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MHSc, MBA, who assumed his new role only a few weeks earlier.
“Looking at the roster for this upcoming class, you’ve certainly distinguished yourself in academics, but also in your service to our community and through your many commitments and other accomplishments,” Sampson told the students. “It's also clear that you have distinguished yourself in another very important way: You have garnered the respect and support of your family, friends, loved ones, teachers, and mentors, many of whom are joining you here today. Look at the crowd of supporters behind you. You have very strong networks, and we are here to join them in cheering you on. Remember, you have earned being here.”
With faculty sitting behind him, John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MHSc, MBA, dean of the CU School of Medicine, speaks at the Class of 2028 Matriculation Ceremony on July 26, 2024, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
It was a day for the students to don their white coats for the first time, receive a stethoscope donated by alumni and friends of the CU School of Medicine, and pick up a journal containing thoughts on gratitude.
→ VIDEO: Watch the 2024 CU School of Medicine Matriculation Ceremony
The matriculation ceremony, Sampson said, is “designed to encourage incoming students to make professionalism, empathy, and humanistic patient care a priority in their medical training. It is also our commitment to you to emphasize these characteristics in your training. These skills give meaning to our work and recognize the dignity of each and every person, regardless of their background. In our clinics, in our hospital wards, we all encounter people of different races, beliefs, and financial circumstances. In a world that too often feels like we are divided from one another, we bring people together for a very noble purpose: To care for one another.”
Sampson added: “We believe we have created a curriculum that hones these skills while emphasizing excellence in developing clinical knowledge and the skills that you need to succeed as a physician. Our commitment to guide you through this process is a recognition that our work is more than a job. It is in fact a calling to serve.”
Students await their call to the stage at the Class of 2028 Matriculation Ceremony on July 26, 2024, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
‘Slow down and listen’
Brian Dwinnell, MD, FACP, associate dean for student life, who opened the program, noted that the tradition of handing out white coats to incoming medical students is relatively new, started in 1993 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. “The white coat ceremony is meant to serve not only as a rite of passage, but also to emphasize that sincere empathy, compassion, and respect, for all are critical components of the profession,” he said.
Mark Gonçalves, MD, president of the CU Medical Alumni Association, told the students that the association works to “advance and support the interests of our medical school, support current medical students on their journey to becoming physicians, and provide programs and opportunities for our alumni to connect with each other.”
Gonçalves talked of the significance of the gift of a stethoscope as a “tool to connect with and listen to your patients.” He added: “Stethoscopes are a vital connection to our fast-paced and often stressful clinical environments that allow us to slow down and literally listen to our patients.”
A student gets a congratulatory hug at the Class of 2028 Matriculation Ceremony on July 26, 2024, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
‘Yes, you belong here’
In his keynote address, Arun Kannappan, MD, director of quality and patient safety in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, cautioned students that, “despite all of your accomplishments, many of you might be thinking, ‘I’m not sure I belong here.’ This notion is pervasive in every medical school class. Most of you will think this at some point in your training. and the feeling may come and go throughout your career. To be honest, reading your bios gave me impostor syndrome.”
He added: “I want you to hear: Yes, you belong here. You are matriculating into medical school. You're in. As you move forward in this profession, you will find that many doors are open to you, leading to countless possibilities. What happens next, where you go, is up to you.”
He offered students several “high-yield tips for success,” including “cut yourself some slack,” go home for the holidays, stay humble, be kind, and stay curious.
Students in their new white coats celebrate at the Class of 2028 Matriculation Ceremony on July 26, 2024, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
Art and science of medicine
Midway through the matriculation program, Steven Lowenstein, MD, MPH, associate dean for faculty affairs, inducted 31 fourth-year medical students from the Class of 2025 into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He said they were “selected by their peers for this honor because they are extraordinary exemplars of humanistic patient care.”
Among the honorees were students working with refugees, child-abuse victims, underserved rural communities, people facing substance abuse, and unhoused families.
Next up were Victoria Clair and Jennifer Felker, members of the Class of 2025, to explain the significance of the gratitude journals presented to the incoming class. The journals contain reflections from students, practicing physicians, faculty, and administrators on the importance of gratitude during their training and careers, as well as space for the new students to write down three moments of gratitude each day, Clair said.
“Our hope is that, through the ups and downs of the years to come, you will practice gratitude each day and you’ll benefit from positive reflection,” Felker said.
Inductees in the Gold Humanism Honor Society on July 26, 2024, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
‘It almost feels surreal’
Then, students were invited, row by row, to mount the stage as their names were called to receive their white coat, stethoscope and journal amid smiles and handshakes from faculty. Beaming loved ones flocked closer to the stage to snap pictures and flash smiles at their students.
Some students ran back to their seats in their new coats with their arms outstretched to slap hands with their classmates.
Students celebrate at the Class of 2028 Matriculation Ceremony on July 26, 2024, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
“It almost feels surreal,” Feruth Kidane of the Class of 2028 said in an interview earlier this month. “I never knew I would get to this point. It was a leap of faith, and I am so grateful for the opportunity.”
Shanta Zimmer, MD, senior associate dean for education, concluded the ceremony by thanking "all the loved ones and family members who are here today. Congratulations to all of you, in addition to your students. But I also want to say thank you for laying the foundation which we promise to build upon in these wonderful future doctors. We vow to help them grow into wonderful physicians. And we will need your continued support as we help them along the way.”
Students celebrate at the Class of 2028 Matriculation Ceremony on July 26, 2024, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
To the students, Zimmer said: “I am acutely proud of you today, which I know will be a chronic condition for the rest of our time here together.”
She then led students in reciting the Honor Code statement the students prepared, which begins: “We, the Class of 2028, devote ourselves to be compassionate, respectful stewards of our community, patients, colleagues and future.” (The full text appears below.)
Earlier, in concluding his remarks, Sampson told the Class of 2028: “I believe we have an absolutely amazing team of educators, clinicians, and researchers who are dedicated to all of our school’s missions, and we are excited to have you join that team today. We have great confidence in you and believe that our school will prepare you to become an outstanding physician. So, let's get to work. Congratulations.”
Photo at top: First-year medical students don their white coats at the Class of 2028 Matriculation Ceremony on July 26, 2024, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
Members of the Class of 2028 recite their Honor Code statement. Photo by Melissa Santorelli | CU School of Medicine.
Class of 2028 Honor Code Statement
We, the Class of 2028, devote ourselves to be compassionate, respectful stewards of our community, patients, colleagues, and future.
We humbly accept the responsibility and privileges entrusted to us as medical trainees and embrace our role as patient advocates.
We recognize that our role is not just to heal, but to support and uplift those who trust us with their health.
We acknowledge systemic inequities and injustices and commit ourselves to dismantling these barriers, fighting for a just world. We vow to continually recognize the individuality and humanity of our patients and their families.
We will empower each other to serve and succeed, providing support to our team to foster a better environment for patients and staff.
We will hold each other to the highest standards to promote mutual respect, honesty, integrity, and the grace for growth in recognizing the responsibility of our profession. We will maintain humility in this endeavor.
We therefore invest in our own wellness so that we may be the best providers for our patients.
We promise an unwavering commitment to learning, curiosity, engagement and embracing discomfort to better comfort others.
We envision a brighter future through furthering the field of medical science and accept our role as leaders as we adapt to future challenges and welcome new advancements.
We vow to never take for granted the title of physician. Ultimately, this calling is about guiding each patient on their journey as we strive to provide healing to our community and communities across the world.
