College of Medicine Milestone Events
Read about the Central Michigan University College of Medicine student milestones, including the White Coat Ceremony, Match Day and Commencement.
White Coat Ceremony
The white coat reminds physicians of their professional duties, as prescribed by Hippocrates, to lead their lives and practice their art in uprightness and honor.
It is intended to create a psychological, intellectual and ethical contract for the profession and promotes empathy in the practice of medicine from the very start of medical training. The white coat is a symbol of the profession and connects everyone who shares this profession. For students the ceremony is a rite of passage for which they have spent countless hours studying, volunteering, researching, applying, interviewing and hoping to achieve. It offers an opportunity for students to reflect on why they have chosen this path and what they hope to accomplish while wearing the white coat.
Match Day
Every spring, fourth-year medical students at the College of Medicine, as well as thousands of medical students across the country and around the world, learn where they have "matched" for their residency training. At precisely 12 p.m., medical students open envelopes revealing the name of the residency program where they will continue their physician training.
Commencement
Central Michigan University College of Medicine holds its own commencement ceremony on the Friday prior to the CMU undergraduate ceremonies.
The ceremony marks the culmination of four years of medical school for the students as they have earned their degree in medicine and the initials "M.D." behind their name.
Family, friends, faculty and staff come together to celebrate this momentous occasion and to acknowledge these fine graduates for the hard work and tenacity they have put into the last four years of their lives. Their accomplishments are also celebrated at the post-reception held immediately after the ceremony. The College of Medicine is extremely proud of the graduates as they move onto their residency programs and work to leave their mark in the world of medicine.
