At Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, first-year medical students donned their white coats for the first time and welcomed the official start of the academic year at Founders’ Day on August 8.
The annual celebration honors Feinberg’s founders and welcomes a new class of medical students to campus.
“From just a few days of orientation, I’ve been able to learn about so many diverse experiences my classmates have had and I’m looking forward to hearing more. I know that each of our journeys has been very different, and I’m excited to see what we can learn from each other over the next four years,” said Lamara Allen, a first-year medical student.
Allen said she was inspired to pursue a career in medicine after learning about the healthcare experience of her nanano – her grandmother – who would tell Allen stories about growing up on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. While her nanano avoided seeking care for most of her life due to a distrust in the healthcare system, Allen learned how access to compassionate healthcare nonetheless improved her grandmother’s health and wellbeing, who lived to be 98 years old.
“Understanding her journey, from limited access to life-extending care, showed me how compassionate, competent medicine can shape a person’s ability to live fully,” Allen said. “Now, my motivation for entering medicine stems from a passion for applying both sociocultural awareness and biological knowledge to partnerships that help patients live a vibrant life.”
Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for Medical Affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean, addressed the incoming class of 2025, reminding them that their medical school journey at Feinberg will be filled with opportunities for learning, growth and collaboration.
“You have opened a new portal to your life’s work that focuses on medicine and science very few are privileged to enter,” Neilson said. “There are a myriad of exciting times ahead for you, not the least of which is working in a medical center teeming with world-class hospitals.”
Kathleen Hagerty, PhD, provost of Northwestern University, assured this year’s incoming class to be proud of their decision to pursue medicine as a career and to be excited about their medical education journey that lies ahead.
“You have made the admirable decision to become students of science and medicine and, eventually, practicing physicians. We all have witnessed firsthand the critical importance of both scientific discovery and compassionate care. You have chosen the very best place to learn about both these critical aspects of medicine as you embark on the next exciting chapter of your educational journey,” Hagerty said.
This year’s Founders’ Day address was delivered by Tara O. Henderson, MD, MPH, the Founder’s Board Chair of Pediatrics at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Henderson spoke about her own journey of pursuing a career in pediatrics and encouraged students to remain curious and seek out support and inspiration throughout their medical school journey.
“You may think you know what you want to do in your life in medicine, but I encourage you to let it come to you,” Henderson said. “Be guided not just by your plans, but by your patients, their families, and by your attendings, teachers and trainees who inspire you. Follow your heart and discover your people.”
Marianne Green, MD, vice dean for Education and the Raymond H. Curry, MD, Professor of Medical Education, led the white coat ceremony, in which second-year medical students helped first-year students ceremonially put on their white coats for the first time.
“For me, the white coat represents both a privilege and a promise. It’s a symbol of the trust patients will place in me, and a reminder that earning that trust means showing up every day with humility, compassion and a willingness to listen and learn,” said Ethan James, a first-year medical student. “I think back to all the people who helped me get here, especially my loved ones, my mentors, my patients, and my community, so it feels like I’m carrying a piece of each of them with me as I take this step.”
With their white coats donned, first-year students then recited the Declaration of Geneva, the modern incarnation of the ancient Greek Hippocratic Oath.
“Receiving my white coat is symbolic of the journey I have taken to get here,” said Uriel Martinez, a first-year medical student. “My grandparents’ highest level of education was primary school, which is equivalent to elementary school. As the first person in my family to attend college and medical school, it was not always a foregone conclusion that I would end up obtaining a college degree, let alone a professional degree. Receiving my white coat is symbolic of the sacrifices my parents and family made to get here.”
Following the ceremony, Feinberg students, faculty and guests gathered at the Founders’ Day reception, sponsored by the Feinberg Medical Alumni Association.
