Brown University medical students celebrate next step in medical careers with new white coats

The 146 first-year medical students at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School had much to celebrate at the Ceremony of Commitment to Medicine on Saturday, Sept. 19, as they took their next steps toward physicianship.

The annual event, informally known as the white coat ceremony, acknowledges the dedication that brought Brown’s newest medical students to Providence and welcomes them to the profession. Per tradition, students are “coated” by the dean, with white coats donated by the Brown Medical Alumni Association.

Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences Mukesh K. Jain, MD, congratulated students for their achievements, and also extended gratitude to their friends, family, and mentors for their continued support. Jain said that 35 US states and nine nations—including Egypt, Guatemala, Peru, and Yemen—are represented in the class, and 40 percent of students speak a language other than English.

Jain said the students donning their coats arrive at an “extraordinary moment in the history of medicine,” in which the tools they will use are advancing faster than at any point in human history.

“But remember, as medicine becomes more high-tech, your role as human healers becomes ever more irreplaceable,” Jain said.

Brady McCallister MD’27 presented this year’s student reflection, and recalled the first day of his third-year surgery clerkship, when he gradually felt his awkwardness give way to anticipation. 

“Despite all the studying, you constantly find yourself somewhere new, not knowing what people are talking about, where you’re supposed to stand—or, evidently, where you’re supposed to put your hands,” he said. “But this is also one of the great gifts of medical school. You are invited into rooms you do not yet know how to navigate, and eventually into the lives of patients who trust you before you feel completely ready for that trust.”

He called the white coat an invitation to learn and earn the trust of peers and patients alike.

“There will be plenty of moments over the next four years when you find yourself standing 10 feet away from the table, hands awkwardly in the air with absolutely no idea what the heck you're doing. When that happens, remember that this white coat is inviting you to get in there, put your hands on the table, and take part fully in the great opportunity in front of you,” McCallister said.

Sameer Parekh ’96 MD’02, P’25, P’28, director of clinical cardiac electrophysiology at NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk, recounted his pathway into medicine and his own uncertainty about his career path. Quoting lyrics by the musician Jeff Tweedy, he said that the students are all “aiming for something they can’t see,” and encouraged them to be open to change—and to be challenged—when they might not expect it.

“You may think you know where you’re going, but leave some room for surprise,” Parekh said.

Vivek Masson ‘97 MD’02, P’28, president of the Brown Medical Alumni Association Board of Directors, said each white coat represents responsibility and trust with patients. He told students to remember to listen to patients, to “see the whole person,” and not just see diagnoses.

“And that’s coming from a radiologist,” Masson joked.

Juliet Fang '26 MD'30 said she appreciated the ceremony taking place in September rather than at the end of orientation in early August, as it gave time for her peers to become comfortable with each other and their new roles. She said she is “specialty agnostic,” as far as a potential career track in medicine is concerned, and is looking forward to her next stage at Brown.

“It feels like we’ve settled in here, and it’s really exciting,” Fang said. “Now we know other people and their families and they’re so cute.”

Milidu Jayaweera '26 MD'30 called the sensation of receiving his white coat and realizing that years of studying led up to this moment a “surreal” experience. 

“I feel like I’ve been waiting for it for so long,” he said.

Jayaweera, who studied biomedical engineering at Brown before medical school, said he is open to anything that can put his love of working with his hands to good use in medicine.

“There’s so much to explore at Brown and I’m super excited to absorb everything,” Jayaweera said.