White Coat Ceremony

On Monday Adam had his White Coat Ceremony for Dental School. The purpose of the ceremony, according to our program, is:

The white coat is a symbolic, non-verbal communication used to express and reaffirm a fundamental belief in a system that society observes. The authority of dress is serious and purposeful, not social, casual or random. The white coat implies a professional interest. It marks entry into the clinical phase of dental education, and the assumption of all the responsibilities of patient care.

It is supposed to be a pretty big deal. He won't actually have patients that are his until summer but right now they are starting to work on patients doing cleanings and x-rays, stuff that he won't even really do as a dentist, but at least they are real people he is working on.

Thankfully we had some friends that offered to watch Maggie for us. She probably wouldn't have enjoyed sitting and watching a bunch of people put on coats and I wouldn't have enjoyed trying to entertain her while keeping her quite and watching the program.

This is his whole class reciting The Dentists Pledge (Adam is in the very back but you probably can't make him out). This is their pledge, for anyone who cares:

I, as a member of the dental profession, will keep this pledge and these stiputlations.

I understand and accept that my primary responsibility is to my patients, and I shall dedicate myself to render, to the best of my ability, the highest standard of oral health care and to maintain a relationship of respect and confidence. Therfore, let all come to me safe in the knowledge that their total health and well-being are my first consideration.

I shall accept the responsibility that, as a professional, my competence rests on contintinuing the attainment of knowledge and skill in the arts and sciences of dentistry.

I acknowledge my obligation to support and sustain the honor and integrity of the profession, and to conduct myself in all endeavors such that I shall merit the respect of patients, colleagues and my community. I further commit myself to the betterment of my community for the benefit of all of society.

I shall faithfully observe the Principles and Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct set forth by the profession.

All this I pledge with pride in my commitment to the profession and the public which it serves.

So, now he is well on his way to becoming a dentist. Yeah!