The Ontario Veterinary College Class of 2019, Golden Krakens, were welcomed to their fourth and clinical year at a White Coat Ceremony on March 24.
The White Coat Ceremony heralds the student veterinarians’ clinical year ahead, beginning this summer with an eight-week externship in a mixed animal practice and then onto clinical rotations through the next year.
The white coat introduced to medicine and veterinary medicine at the end of the 19th century as a symbol of cleanliness and to indicate that these fields were becoming more and more science based, said Dr. Peter Conlon, OVC Associate Dean, Students. “The white coat symbolizes the trust that veterinarians must earn from their clients and the scientific search for the truth on which that trust is based.”
Dr. Steven Jacobs, president of College of Veterinarians of Ontario, encouraged students to consider what it means to be a member of the veterinary profession – a privilege, a commitment to ongoing learning, a source of trust, and part of a shared community of knowledge and support.
“Over the next year you’ll move from lectures and labs to hands-on, real life experiences,” said Dr. Gwen Jeun, president of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association. “You’ll learn valuable clinical skills and knowledge that will prepare you for your entry into the veterinary profession no matter the career path you choose.”
“You are leaving behind the days of multiple choice questions where there are yes and no answers to a realm where oftentimes there aren’t obvious yes and no answers, but many ways of doing things. And that is, of course, is the art of veterinary medicine,” said OVC Dean Jeff Wichtel.
He reminded students that the veterinary profession is very much a human profession as well, recalling strong relationships he gained with colleagues, with veterinary practice teams, and with clients during his first clinical years.
“These are some of the memories that I hold strongest,” he added.