Touro RadTech Students Earn White Coats
Members of Founding Class Achieve Milestone Before Family and Friends
Touro University California’s inaugural class of Radiologic Technology students were presented with their white coats during a ceremony March 30 in the Lander Hall Auditorium on campus.
“This is not a graduation, but it is a significant milestone in the lives and careers of a terrific group of students,” said Professor John Ellis, director of the program. “We’ve laughed as a team, we’ve studied as a team, and we’ve perspired as a team. We’re still doing that.”
“We’ve grown from strangers, to become brothers and sisters,” Ellis said. “We are an extended family.”
Class President Jessica Pham spoke of the significance of each of her classmates’ decisions to join the first class of a new degree program. She likened it to “a decision that could alter the course of your life forever.”
“I’m so proud of all of you, of all of us, for taking this leap of faith,” Pham said. “Today marks not only how far we’ve come but also who you’re becoming as health care professionals.”
The Class of 2027 represents TUC’s first cohort in the Radiologic Technology program, which offers a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree.
“As we wear our white coats today, may they serve as a reminder of what we’re working toward and why we have chosen this path,” Pham said. “May we lean into the hard parts; trust ourselves; and continue striving toward curiosity, compassion, and care for our patients.”
College Leaders Lend Support to Students
The Dean and Associate Dean of the College of Health Sciences sent words of encouragement to the cohort to mark the day.
“I am incredibly proud of your dedication. Congratulations on this achievement, and welcome to the family of health care providers,” Dr. Terezie Tolar-Peterson, Dean of the College of Health Sciences, said. “Remember that the white coat represents both your advanced expertise and the trust your patients will place in you. Wear it with the compassion and integrity that define your profession.”
“Today is not just about putting on a white coat; it’s about recognizing the dedication, sleepless nights, and compassion that brought you here,” Dr. Farid Khalafalla, Associate Dean and Chief Academic Integrity Officer of the College of Health Sciences, said. “Now you are one step closer to your dream of serving others and changing patient lives with your skills and your heart. The journey will not always be easy: Embrace it, enjoy it, and keep learning.”
White Coat Ceremony a 30-Year Tradition
The ceremonial presentation of white coats is a relatively new tradition in the field of medical education, established in 1993 at Columbia University by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
The tradition quickly spread worldwide.