The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) held its virtual White Coat Ceremony, honoring the Class of 2025 on Sunday, November 21, 2021. Stevan A. Walkowski, DO, served as the keynote speaker. Dr. Walkowski, who recently joined ACOM as Associate Dean of Clinical Sciences, encouraged students to reflect on what led them to medicine and welcomed them to the osteopathic profession. The ceremony concluded with the students gathered on campus reciting the Osteopathic Pledge of Commitment.

White Coat Ceremony is an annual celebration that represents a rite of passage for a first-year medical student and an important step in the journey toward becoming an osteopathic physician. The traditional white coat is an outward sign of the medical profession and has been worn by physicians for more than 100 years. Formal presentation of the white coat symbolizes an osteopathic medical student’s entrance into a new academic environment, and the acceptance of the obligations and high standards of compassionate care that are expected. Each year, the ACOM marks the achievements of first-year medical students with the presentation of the white coat by each student’s faculty advisor.

The Class of 2025 is ACOM’s ninth class and represents a diverse group of students from 31 states across the nation.