Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), through its Faculty of Health Sciences and the School of Medicine, held the White Gown ceremony, in which 43 students beginning the pre-internship cycle were invested. This symbolic act signifies the completion of training in the basic sciences and marks the beginning of clinical practice, where students start their direct contact with patients.
The ceremony aims to emphasize the student’s dedication to medicine, respect, seriousness, and confidence that inspires this investiture, a symbol of the medical profession for over two centuries.
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Dr. William Duke, Dean of the School of Health Sciences, while Dr. Patricia Matos, the academic vice chancellor, offered an inspiring message to students. The gowns were placed by the dean himself, along with Dr. Claudia M. Scharf, director of the School of Medicine, who also read the Geneva Declaration. The speech on behalf of the students was given by John Ross, a medical student.
The event was also attended by Dr. Elisa D’Angelo, the school’s academic coordinator, along with Dr. Chun Neng Huang and Dr. Mariela Pinales as honor teachers.
The event took place in the Conference Hall of University Building 3 and was broadcast live on the UNPHU YouTube channel. The recording can be accessed at the following link:
About the White Gown
The White Gown ceremony originated at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago in 1989. However, its first formal edition was held in 1993 at the Columbia University School of Physicians and Surgeons, under the direction of Dr. Arnold P. Gold, a professor and pediatric neurologist. Since then, this event has become an international tradition that symbolizes the medical student’s entry into clinical practice, marked by a strong ethical and professional commitment.
