The White Coat Ceremony honors students in the College of Chiropractic and the College of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine.
Ceremony Details
2026 White Coat Ceremony details will be posted shortly.
Significance of the White Coat Ceremony
The white coat ceremony signifies the transition from preclinical studies to clinical practice. It serves as a pivotal moment halfway through their educational journey, allowing students to reflect on how far they’ve come. It’s also a time to celebrate the exciting road ahead. From here, these students will begin working at De Rusha Clinic, treating real patients for the first time.
Many patients view the white coast as a ‘cloak of compassion’ and a symbol of the caring and hope they expect to receive from their doctors. NWHSU students beginning their studies in the health sciences aspire to be worthy of the white coat in their education and role as future doctors.
Dr. Katie Burns Ryan, Dean, College of Chiropractic called attention to the coats being a little uncomfortable at first.
“You have to break it in, right? And that’s the same as when you’re in clinic,” she shared. “At first you feel a little uncomfortable but very soon you start showing signs of experience. Just like my white coat shows a lot of signs of experience, and those of your faculty as well. So, you’re going to get there through more experience and hard work in this term and in your future.”