Family, friends, classmates, professors and administrators joined 270 first-year doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) students from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) class of 2025
as they received their white coats for the first time. The white coat ceremony is
an annual tradition establishing a contract for first-year medical students that stresses
the importance of compassionate care for patients, as well as scientific proficiency.
The students and assembled guests gathered at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue
to celebrate this important step in their medical careers.
“Wearing your white coat comes with a sense of hope,” said Jay S. Feldstein, DO ‘81, president and CEO of PCOM, to the assembled students. “You are the future of medicine. I know I speak on behalf of all at PCOM when I applaud your commitment to excellence and your commitment to the osteopathic medical profession.”
Megan Sullivan, DO ’24, chair for the DO class of 2024, offered wisdom to the class
of 2025, sharing, “I encourage you to lean on each other as much as you can. As you
don your new white coat for the first time today, it is a symbol of the profession
you are stepping into, one that is built on teamwork, compassion and empathy for others.”
David Glass, chair of the class of 2022, added, “The white coat signifies the initial
blank page of what will become a record of service and proud accomplishment in the
medical profession for each and every physician who wears it.”
Ending the program with advice for the families of each student, Kenneth Veit, DO '76, MBA, provost, senior vice president of academic affairs and dean, acknowledged the role
they will play in the years to come. Accepting that at some point, each member of
the class of 2025 will reach out to their loved ones with stories of their experience
as medical students and, later, practicing physicians, Veit said, “Your job is to
be there, just be there, and to listen and understand. It’s such an important role
and I want to thank you for playing that role.”
The white coats for the class of 2026 were provided by a donation from the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA). Each coat was adorned with the College patch, donated by the PCOM Alumni Association.
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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© 2025 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
