Today, as I pause to reflect on one of the most meaningful traditions in medical education, I am filled with gratitude for our students, our faculty, and the enduring values that unite us in the calling of medicine.
As I reflect on our recent White Coat Ceremony and the extraordinary students we just welcomed, I am reminded of the profound meaning of what it truly means to become a physician.
Our newest class, selected from among thousands of applicants, represents far more than academic excellence. They bring leadership, resilience, curiosity, and a devotion to serving others. They are not defined by grades alone; they are researchers who push the boundaries of knowledge, advocates who give voice to the vulnerable, and future healers who will dedicate their lives to caring for others.
The white coat, formally introduced as a ceremony in 1993, is more than tradition—it is a timeless symbol of compassion, wisdom, and trust. Each coat carries a solemn promise: that the health and dignity of every patient will always come first, and that empathy, integrity, and humility will guide every decision.
Medicine is a legacy, passed from one generation to the next. When our students don their white coats, they inherit this sacred responsibility. With honor comes duty not only in the hospital and clinic, but in every encounter of life. For a physician is never a physician only within the walls of medicine; the calling follows everywhere, shaping one’s character and actions in every moment.
The Physician’s Oath, attached below, reminds us to serve with compassion, to do no harm, and to embrace lifelong learning. These are not lines to be spoken once and set aside; they are enduring principles by which a physician must live, day after day, year after year.
As faculty and staff, we, too, share in this responsibility. Our work is more than teaching; it is mentoring with intention, shaping future physicians not only through knowledge and skill, but through example. It is challenging students to rise higher, to think more deeply, and to embrace medicine not as a career, but as a calling of the highest order.
I feel both pride and gratitude as I reflect on this moment. Pride in the remarkable students who stand at the threshold of a noble profession. Gratitude for the opportunity we have, together, to guide them on their journey. Their path has only just begun, and we are entrusted with the privilege of walking beside them as they grow into healers defined not only by their knowledge, but by their service, their humanity, and their unshakable commitment to the dignity of every patient they encounter.
As we look to the future, we are reminded that the strength of medicine rests not only in science and innovation, but in the values we pass forward. Our mission is to cultivate physicians who are not only skilled clinicians, but also leaders, advocates, and humanists who will shape the future of health care. In guiding our students, we invest not only in their success, but in the wellbeing of every community they will one day serve. This is the enduring promise of the White Coat Ceremony—and it is the promise we renew together.
Warm regards,
Richard S. Isaacs, MD, FACSDean California Northstate University College of Medicine Senior Vice-President of Medical Affairs and Chief Academic Officer Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Class of 2029 White Coat Physicians’ Oath:
I pledge, to the best of my ability and judgment, to uphold these principles:
I will honor the dignity of every patient, treating each person, not merely as a collection of symptoms or conditions.
I commit to integrity and honesty, cultivating the trust placed in me by patients, colleagues, and our community.
I will pursue excellence in both knowledge and skill, embracing lifelong learning with humility.
I promise to listen with compassion and empathy, understanding that healing often begins with genuine care.
I will collaborate with colleagues, knowing that medicine is as much a human art as it is a science.
I promise to do no harm, actively addressing the systemic barriers that impede health.
I commit to prioritizing patient safety and well-being above convenience, profit, or personal gain.
I will embrace innovation and discovery, always ensuring that technology serves as a tool for superior care.
I vow to care for myself, so that I may better serve others with clarity, resilience, and compassion.
I will bear this white coat with humility and dedication, understanding that it is a symbol not of status, but of service.
With humility and conviction, I pledge to uphold these ideals and obligations—for the advancement of medicine, the well-being of my patients, and the benefit of humanity.