UCC holds 8th white coat ceremony for 68 medical students

The University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences (UCCSMS), on Thursday held a white Coat Ceremony to mark the transition of 68 level 400 clinical students from pre-clinical studies to clinical.

The ceremony is a ritual that involves a formal robing of students in a doctor’s traditional wear, the white coat.

The students received thunderous applauds and cheers from their parents, friends and relatives as they donned the white coat and took the medical oath to abide by the ethics of the medical profession

The oath read in part " I will practice to the highest standards of conduct by doing what is best for my patients and allowing neither greed nor stinginess nor desire for great reputation to corrupt me".

Addressing the students, Dr Kwasi Atikpui Eli, the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council counselled the students to exhibit high level of humility and respect for humanity in the discharge of their duties.

That, he cautioned was the greatest asset if they were to have an impactful and successful career that would serve as an example to the younger generation and the world at large.

According to him, the wearing of the white coat symbolized "great responsibility to humanity" and also to remind them of the enormity of challenges and task ahead of them to prepare adequately to face it.

He said: “You must accept that the wearing of the white coat is a symbol of dedication to duty and a position of task, hence you must desist from engaging in unlawful and indecent acts that will tarnish your hard won reputation of family, profession and the nation at large.”

Touching on the misconception about the attitude health professionals, he advised the students to develop excellent interpersonal communication skills and working relationship with other staff to enable them work in unity to achieve the target goals of enhancing the health of all humanity.

Dr Atikpui Eli commended the University for maintaining its enviable high academic standards of training medical students who were excelling all over the world and urged UCC to jealously guard it to maintain integrity and professionalism.

He added that the UCC was the first and the only medical school in Ghana which performs the ceremony and therefore should be proud of it.

He told parents to continually counsel and support them both emotionally and physically to avoid the excesses associated with youthful exuberance.

Professor Francis Offei, Dean of UCC School of Medical Sciences (SMS), urged the students to put whatever they have learnt into practice and encouraged them to continually pursue diligence to the zenith of their academic carrier.

He advised them to let patience be their greatest virtue and guard their utterances especially with all patients..

“I urge you to cultitivate the virtues of integrity, honesty, compassion, courage, respect and self-sacrifice in all their work at all times. Never see in the patient anything less than a fellow creature in pain.”

The students were reminded to obey the rules, regulation and ethics of the profession in order not to derail their determination to save lives.

Prof Offei indicated that as part of the institution’s measures to protect its reputation as an academic gaint, the SMS was poised to strictly monitor the performance of its students wherever they will be posted with the support of external examiners.