At White Coat Ceremony, Students Launch Their Medical Careers

Jake Gluckman was headed for a career in the theater. In addition to having five callbacks for the lead role in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, he wrote a musical about his brother, Sam, who has autism.

But delving into his brother's experiences left him wanting to know and do more about autism and other neurodivergences. After shadowing some physicians during his senior year at Yale, he chose medicine as his path.

"I realized it was this beautiful intersection of science and the humanities that I was really craving," he said.

Determined to bring his passion for music with him into his career - possibly as a child psychologist - Gluckman's perspective exemplifies the spirit of the annual White Coat Ceremony at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), which celebrated its newest students July 26 following a week-long orientation. In addition to receiving their white coats from faculty members, students considered the importance of practicing humanism as they recited the Oath of Hippocrates, a promise to uphold the ethical standards of medicine.

"It feels very much like a symbol that I've made it and that I'm making a promise to myself, my community, my family and my friends to lead and to pursue this profession with compassion and empathy," Gluckman said.

The RWJMS celebration was the first of two ceremonies welcoming med students this summer. On Aug. 8, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) will hold its annual Barbara and Norman Seiden White Coat Ceremony to recognize 173 incoming students, but the two schools may celebrate together in the future.

Rutgers is seeking combined accreditation for NJMS and RWJMS, which would establish one of the largest and leading public medical schools in the country, enhance educational opportunities, accelerate scientific discovery and, most importantly, address health inequities with high-quality patient care.

At RWJMS, the ceremony recognized 165 incoming students, including Juliana Cantarutti, who is interested in becoming a pediatric neurologist.

"It's exciting to be in a room where everyone has a shared goal," she said, "and also their own unique passions and perspectives about where they want to take medicine."

Elian Alvarez's focus was on the sacrifices his family had made to help him pursue his dream of becoming a surgeon.

"I put that white coat on not only for myself, but for my siblings, my mom and dad, and everybody else who has supported me," he said. "I just hope to make them all proud."

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