NECO’s Class of 2022 White Coat Ceremony
On Sunday, August 11th, the Class of 2022 gathered with their friends, families, and colleagues to receive their White Coat before the fall semester begins.
The White Coat ceremony is a momentous occasion that signifies the successful completion of the first year of optometry school at NECO where students not only earn the white coat but also a letter of clinical privilege.
Wearing a white coat changes how patients view you and symbolizes professionalism, caring and trust which medical professionals must earn from their patients. During the ceremony, Dr. Weissberg shared: “The coat will change how people feel about you and interact with you. It will break down barriers, immediately creating a relationship and giving you access to a diverse group of people (your patients) that otherwise could take years to develop, or possibly would never develop.”
The class was also given a challenge by President Purcell to every day strive to:
Make a difference
Give back
Be the best you can be
Always care – patients can tell
All NECO students worked very hard to earn their place at the college and it takes a committed college community to help support students successfully through their journey to become optometrists. There are countless individuals who support our students such as professors, advisors, mentors, friends and family members.
Every year, the class selects faculty who they would like to have present their white coats and letter of clinical privledge. This year, the Class of 2022 selected Associate Professor Dr. Maureen Hanley and Assistant Professor Dr. Ben Young to be part of their special moment during the ceremony. Associate Professor Blair Wong was selected to present students with their clinical privilege letter.
Today’s ceremony starts the next phase of your educational journey. President Purcell shared with the class that “your clinical experiences will allows you to now truly live the mission of the college….changing the way people see the world.”
Congratulations Class of 2022! Best wishes for an amazing year ahead where you have impactful patient care experiences and a strong learning experience to continue growing! We Expect Great Things from you and you can Create Great Things through hard work and dedication!