There are 330 new white coats on the wards: they are the fourth-year students of the MSc in Medicine and Surgery at UniCamillus who are starting their internship. On the 13th, 14th and 15th of November, at the White Coat Ceremony organised by the University this year in the main lecture theatre of the Auditorium, 330 young future medical practitioners were symbolically handed the coat, the perfect symbol of the medical profession, by their professors.
The ceremony was presided over by the Rector of UniCamillus, Gianni Profita, who said: “These are the beautiful moments that really convey the sense of our academic community. This rite of passage is very important because it represents the moment when we move from the classroom to the wards. We all know that there are difficult times ahead in healthcare, when you really have to put your heart and soul into your work as a medical practitioner. And we are confident that we have passed on this feeling to our students”.
The University was honoured by the presence of distinguished guests who attended the ceremony, such as Andrea Urbani, Director of the Regional Department of Health and Social Integration of the Regione Lazio, and Francesco Amato, Director General of ASL Roma 2.
Dr Urbani told the students: “In the coming days, you will be entering a much more practical part of your studies, where you will have to make decisions. I can tell you from my experience that good decisions have two characteristics: knowledge and courage. You have to study to make your decisions to the best of your knowledge, but knowledge is not all you need to make a decision. However much you study, you will be faced with situations where the second characteristic——courage——has to take over. Very often you will have to make decisions without being fully aware or sure of the consequences of your choices. But you will need to be able to say that you did everything you could”.
Dr Amato‘s speech was very much along the same lines: “The healthcare sector has changed radically compared to the past. We are in a period of profound change in the knowledge that dominates the medical sector. For this reason, complementarity with the university world, especially a prestigious one such as UniCamillus, can only improve hospital services. It is through knowledge that patients must find answers to their daily concerns and receive the best treatment that science has to offer”.
Speaking on behalf of all their colleagues, student representatives Alberto Cucco and Arianna Romano, who spoke just moments before the white coats were handed over, were full of emotion as photos were taken, hugs were exchanged and a few tears of joy were shed: “The coat we wear today represents all the scientific knowledge, ethical and moral values that have been passed on to us over the years in the lecture halls of this University”, said Cucco. “We are aware of the difficult challenges that await us, but we are ready to face them with passion, dedication and the desire to do our best every day to honour this coat and the profession we have chosen“, added Romano.
At the end of the ceremony, the Declaration of Geneva on the medical profession and the human aspect of medicine was read out. Then the celebrations began. The three-day celebration for these young men and women was also attended by their families and friends, who joyfully filled the UniCamillus campus.
