Class Oath Ceremony marks pivotal transition from classroom to clinic

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With a vow to always put patients first and treat the whole person, the School of Medicine’s Class of 2018 at UMass Medical School marked a milestone in their medical training during the Class Oath Ceremony held at UMass Medical School on Tuesday, May 3.

The oath recognizes the transition that students make halfway through their medical training, from largely classroom instruction, to two years of clinical rotations in which they participate in direct patient care. The ceremony emphasizes the humanistic, ethical and moral dimensions of the art and science of practicing medicine.

“By being here today in professional attire I really do feel like I’m going through a very important transition in my life,” said Nisarg Chhaya, as he and classmates, wearing their white coats, gathered ahead of the ceremony. “The school is showing that it recognizes that it is a big step for me and everybody here.”

“Next week we’re going to see patients. This is the moment when it’s all becoming real for us,” said Martin Cotti. “Everybody’s looking forward to it—I know I am!”

Chhaya and Cotti were among the 125 medical students who took the oath in the presence of faculty, family and friends.

Keynote speaker and pharmacologist Mark Dershwitz, MD, PhD, recommended that they make several addendums to their personal oaths centered around responsible and non-biased drug prescribing, including “I will never accept anything, not even a pen, from a drug company rep.” Dr. Dershwitz, professor of anesthesiology and biochemistry & molecular pharmacology and teacher of the first-year and second-years pharmacology courses, said he was honored to be selected as the keynote speaker by the class.

In a first for the UMMS ceremony, second-year students heard about what to anticipate as they embark on their clinical training in earnest from a third-year student fresh off the experience herself. Chioma (Noreen) Okwara, SOM ’17, spoke eloquently of being present for patients as a member of the medical team.

James Doolin, SOM ’16, a member of the UMMS chapter of the Gold Humanism in Medicine Society, was selected by his fellow chapter members to represent the society at the oath ceremony. The society is a signature program of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, an international non-profit organization committed to fostering and maintaining a culture of compassion, caring and respect in health care. UMMS applied for and was granted a chapter charter in 2014.

Class of 2018 members and Student Body Committee co-presidents Camilla Yu and Philip Feinberg presented the Outstanding Medical Educator Awards to recipients elected by the class. Faculty members honored were:

Mark Dershwitz, MD, PhD, professor of anesthesiology and biochemistry & molecular pharmacology
Susan Gagliardi, PhD, professor of neurology
Dina Kandil, MD, assistant professor of pathology
Mai-Lan Rogoff, MD, professor of psychiatry
Vijay Vanguri, MD, associate professor of pathology

Finally, after first affixing UMass Medical School pins (a gift to the class from the UMMS Office of Alumni Relations) to their white coats, the students recited the oath they authored—the first to include cultural competence as a goal. It was led by Oath Committee members Katarina Anderson, Kristofer Earles, Thomas Ford and Rebecca Engell Kasper:

"As I move into this next stage of my career, I will honor the following ideals:

“I will be fluent in the language of compassion and will seek to treat the person rather than a series of symptoms.

“I will be both a teacher and a learner in the times when I excel and the times when I do not.

“I will support and value the contributions of the members of my team.

“I will be humble, placing the needs of my patients before my pride.

“I will be a responsible practitioner—being wary of routine and thinking critically about the care that I provide.

“I will empower patients to be active in their care and will respect the decisions they make.

“I will be mindful of my role in the community, utilizing my status to promote its betterment.

“Together, we will strive towards the development of a culturally competent medical community that is representative of the people we serve.

“I will care for myself so that I can continue to care for others.

“I will be thankful and will always remember that practicing medicine is a privilege and an honor.

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