The Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine's first White Coat Ceremony in Amarillo recognized 62 students who have made educational advancements from preclinical training to veterinary medicine during clinical rotations beginning in May.
Sunday afternoon at the Globe News Performing Arts Center will be Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley, TTU School of Veterinary Medicine Dean and Professor Guy H. Loneragan, Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanek, and TTU President Dr. John Dascanio. Many dignitaries attended, including: Senior associate deans for academic and student affairs, animal genetics professors and others shared their congratulations and wisdom to the packed crowd.
To receive their white coats, the students appeared on stage with their white coats and were accompanied by a special person, such as a parent, child, sibling, doctor or teacher, to help them put on the coat, D'Ascanio said. They also received a coin with the veterinary school's seal on one side and a windmill on the reverse, representing grit, perseverance and the heart of the community.
According to the program distributed to attendees, the white coat symbolizes a doctor's knowledge, skills, and actions to the public. It brings an expectation of respect, consideration, and trust. The act of misrepresenting the future doctor began in his early 20th century.prior to
Doctors wore black clothing, which was considered formal at the time. The change to white symbolized the “purity” of medicine and a clean, sterile environment. Students came from all over the state, New Mexico, and beyond.
Mayor Stanley thanked the organization for choosing Texas Tech University and Amarillo and quoted Psalm 1:3. “He will be like a tree that is planted by living water and brings forth fruit. He will not wither and will prosper in all that he does.” He said he hopes to have deep roots in the country and prosper in all aspects.
Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanek recalled that in December 2015, then-Texas Tech University System Chancellor Bob Duncan visited Amarillo to announce the system's plans for veterinary school admissions. Schools that are innovative and do not duplicate existing services offered by this state. And this is the first class to experience this white coat ceremony, and something like this will never happen again. Your experience and the special bond of being first will always be part of your legacy as a pioneer. For those who want to become a veterinarian, the reality is that it is possible.
“Your cocoon is about to crack and the first light of what you are going to become appears to the world,” said Dr. Britt Conklin, associate dean of clinical programs. He said that communities in our area are actually newer than others and that they need a way to access water to decontaminate the community. He talked about sealing windmill coins. “Windmills have been used throughout history for a variety of purposes, including water recovery and wind power generation.Students completed many similar tasks with windmills and worked in difficult climates. , he said, is required to capture challenges such as wind and wind power,” converting it into energy, converting it into water and electricity. ”
Britt said life may come with challenges, but students are made with the educational equipment and knowledge to overcome those challenges and add to their perseverance skill set. Windmills use resources that are not readily available, such as groundwater. They all have to be pumped from deep wells. Conklin said to look at the resources around you, other students and teachers. He said it is common for communities to gather around windmills. “Leverage the challenges, transform the environment, reach from that deep well and deliver life-changing products,” he advised.
Dr. Seth Soloman of Swan Animal Clinic told the audience about not being a great student and his philosophy that “school should never get in the way of education.” Soloman said many of her classes were watched in the background, and it wasn't until she worked at an emergency veterinary clinic and learned how much she could help people by helping dogs and cats that she truly developed a passion for becoming a veterinarian. He said he couldn't have it. . Soloman was about to buy a farm, which he really wanted to do, when his fortunes changed and the farm deal fell through, she said. He said that until he went to the small animal emergency clinic, he had never owned a pet, so he had no understanding of the human-animal bond. He said it changed his life and he grew to love it.
He compared decisions to hats and said if you don't like them, you can change them. He also made comparisons to haircuts and tattoos. ” Life is a balance of risk and reward elements, and some people are risk takers who prefer winning more than they dislike losing, while others are risk averse, who dislike losing more than they like to win. He gave advice to both types, telling them to understand their personality type and work within its boundaries. He advised students, “Don't be afraid to take risks. That's where the rewards are.” He also criticized social media for not listing successes as well as failures in life.
“Failure is not something to be ashamed of. It's the tuition you pay to learn,” he said, going on to list a long list of people who have failed, including Winston Churchill. He concluded:
Three things for graduates to remember: “Don't take the easy way out. Be cautious, learn from your mistakes, and look for opportunities to fail.”
The final speaker was Dr. John Dascanio, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, who spoke to students about the importance of white coat cloaking.
The students were then individually recognized by a person of their choice and dressed in their hard-earned white coats. A ceremony was then held, filled with people, friends and family celebrating the new veterinarian's departure.
