A rite of passage: KCU celebrates white coat ceremonies for new medical students in Kansas City and Joplin
The journey to become a physician begins with a traditional and powerful symbol of purpose and responsibility. Kansas City University (KCU) College of Osteopathic Medicine welcomed 428 new students across its Kansas City and Joplin campuses through its white coat ceremonies, a ritual that marks the transformation in the making of a physician.
A tradition rooted in compassion
The white coat ceremony was established by the Gold Foundation in 1993, emphasizes the importance of humanism in medicine from day one of medical education.
“The ceremony is designed to impress upon students, physicians and the public, the important symbolic role of the white coat in the physician-patient relationship,” said Josh Cox, DO, KCU executive dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and vice provost for Medical Affairs. “We believe this relationship is the core of all we do.”
KC welcomes next generation of healers
268 new medical students from KCU-KC’s class of 2029 gathered at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on July 21 to receive their white coats.
KCU President and CEO Marc B. Hahn, DO, reminded students that their presence at this milestone was no accident. “Know that you are not here by accident. Rather, you were called to this path — to serve, to heal and to lead,” Hahn said. “And know that Kansas City University is here to equip you with the knowledge, the resilience and the purpose to meet this moment.”
Class of 2028 student doctor and KCU-KC Student Government Association (SGA) president Victor Villarreal encouraged the Class of 2029 to focus on growth rather than perfection.
“Medicine is not a journey of flawless execution. It is a journey of relentless growth,” Villarreal said. “Let this white coat represent the future healer within you. Medicine does not demand perfection; it demands presence, relentlessness, compassion and staying on fire with purpose.”
The ceremony’s keynote speaker, Kelstan Ellis, DO, KCU alumna, associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, medical director of Pediatric Palliative Care at The University of Kansas Health System and center chief of the Bioethics Center at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, offered a powerful reminder to stay grounded in the many facets of one’s identity.
“Becoming a doctor is identity forming but maintain who you are outside of being a doctor,” Ellis said. “I am a better physician because of the other facets of my identity, and you will be too.”
Joplin students step into a promise
160 students from KCU-Joplin’s class of 2029 gathered at the Joplin High School Performing Arts Center on July 24 to receive their white coats, stepping confidently into the next chapter of their medical journey.
Class of 2028 student doctor and KCU-Joplin SGA president Nathan Chainey reflected on what the white coat symbolizes beyond the fabric.
“It is a privilege to wear it — but it is also a promise,” Chainey said. “A promise to your future patients that you will show up with integrity, with empathy and with excellence.”
Nathan Hall, DO, KCU alumnus, vice chair of the KCU Board of Trustees and director and chair of the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Division of the University of Kansas Medical Center Subspecialty Group, delivered the keynote address urging students to carry their new role with humility and lifelong dedication.
“When you put it on, you’re not just stepping into a profession — you’re stepping into a promise: To serve with humility, to lead with compassion and to pursue lifelong learning in the service of others,” Hall said. “As you receive your white coat, and every other time you place it on your back, remember you carry a weight of responsibility that few have the privilege to endure. Embrace it, enjoy it and put your heart in it, as it will reward you in many ways that you can not yet imagine.”
More than a coat: A commitment to serve
Surrounded by family and friends, students stepped forward to introduce themselves and receive their white coats — powerful symbols of trust, responsibility and the path they have chosen. Each ceremony closed with the medical students reciting the Osteopathic Oath, a meaningful pledge to serve with compassion, integrity and care. With their white coats on for the first time, they began a journey that will define how they grow as physicians and care for those they serve.