Incoming MD Class Celebrates White Coat Ceremony

First year MD students strike funny poses after receiving their white coats.

The first-year students in the School of Medicine’s MD program celebrated their entry into the profession of medicine at the 2025 White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 8 in Page Auditorium. 

The ceremony is a defining moment for first-year medical students. As they receive their white coats and stethoscopes, courtesy of Duke Medical Alumni Affairs, it marks the start of their responsibilities as a health professional. 

This year, 123 first-year students are enrolled in Duke’s MD program. 

  • Students walking into the white coat ceremony with their coats folded over their arms
    First year students medical students make their way to Page Auditorium during the Duke University Doctor of Medicine Program’s White Coat Ceremony where they receive their first white coats and stethoscopes as they are formally inducted into the profession.
  • student donning a white coat with the assistance of an advisory dean
    Sidney Rojas dons her white coat with help from Aimee Chung, MD, Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
  • Proud parents watching their children from the audience at the white coat ceremony.
    A family member takes a photo during the Doctor of Medicine Program’s White Coat Ceremony
  • two students listening to each other's hearts with their new stethoscopes
    Students Jane O’Donnell, left, and Sara Ptaszynska, right, pose for a photograph with their new stethoscopes courtesy of the Duke Medical Alumni Association
  • Students and their loved ones pose for photographs in front of the Duke Chapel
    Students and their loved ones pose for photographs in front of the Duke Chapel after the ceremony.

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