One hundred and ten first-year medical students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville put on their white coats for the first time at a ceremony held July 12.

It was a moment marked with anticipation on a summer afternoon at the Class of 2030 White Coat Ceremony — the culmination of years of hard work for incoming medical students, but also the start of a journey of compassion, learning and dedication.  

Across the country, the white coat is conferred upon incoming medical students, as a profound symbol of professionalism, integrity, and compassionate patient care. Established by the Arnold P. Gold Fountain, this rite of passage underscores a medical student’s public commitment to humanistic practice, clinical excellence, and the responsibilities inherent in becoming a physician.

“The White Coat Ceremony means so much more than just receiving a white coat,” said Stewart Russell, M1 student at the School of Medicine Greenville (SOMG). “It represents the years of hard work, sacrifice, and faith that have brought me to this moment. It also symbolizes the beginning of a lifelong commitment to serving others and marks the first step in the journey toward becoming the physician I aspire to be.”

“We proudly welcome the Class of 2030 as physicians in training,” said SOMG Dean Phyllis MacGilvray. “Held at the beginning of their medical school experience, the White Coat is conferred, signifying their rite of passage and the weight of the heavy responsibility entrusted upon them as future physicians.

“Hailing from across the country, this class has already shown their dedication and compassion to take care of their community and fellow medical students. I look forward to seeing each member of this class grow at the School of Medicine Greenville — proudly wearing their white coats as physicians in training — and becoming the future of medicine.” 

For Mary-Elaine Staples, a medical student in the PCAT program at SOMG, the white coat is a symbol of answered prayers nearly two decades ago, when as a young patient she began to realize her dream of becoming a physician.  

“In June of 2009, I began a journey that changed the trajectory of my life,” said Staples. “I was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age five. After my diagnosis, I had my brain tumor surgically removed, followed by two subsequent corrective eye surgeries; thus, I have been a patient most of my life. I have spent lots of time surrounded by white coats, and it wasn’t long before I realized my dream of wearing one.”  

“As I grew older and could grasp what all those white coats, or rather what the people who wore them did for me, it ignited my passion to become a physician. While much has changed in my life, my dream of becoming a physician remains the same. Along with my desire to reach back and help others, two central forces drive my aspiration to attend medical school: my love of learning and my love of my home.”

Staples was born and raised in Aynor, S.C. Her family had to travel two hours for her brain tumor diagnosis, and she knows others in her community are required to travel far for medical care. “I want to bring medicine back home to serve and educate those in my community,” Staples said.  

The Class of 2030  

This summer, 110 students have matriculated into the Class of 2030 at School of Medicine Greenville. In the class, 30 percent are from a rural background.  

Seventy eight percent of the incoming class had a science or engineering degree. A total of 29 different undergraduate institutions are represented in the incoming class. The top S.C. institutions include: the University of South Carolina; Clemson University; and Furman University. 

 

“Excited to get started”

Moments before receiving her white coat at the ceremony held at Furman University’s McAlister Auditorium, Catherine James, who is from Idaho and attended the University of South Carolina for undergrad, said she was “excited to get started” at the School of Medicine Greenville for her medical training.  

Olivia Sherman also looks forward to the milestones and experiences ahead. “Receiving the white coat means making a lifelong commitment to learning, serving my community, and caring for others,” said Sherman. “It represents all the hard work and sacrifices that brought me here, not just my own, but also those of my family, mentors, and everyone who supported me along the way.”

“It's especially meaningful to receive my White Coat on a stage where I spent so many years performing as a dancer growing up in the Greenville area,” added Sherman. “Coming back to that stage is a reminder that, while the White Coat represents the responsibility of becoming a physician, it also represents the person wearing it. Our unique experiences and individuality help us better connect with and care for patients from all backgrounds.”

For Riley Gettys, a Greenville native, the white coat is, indeed, a profound symbol.

“It is an honor and a blessing to be entrusted with a white coat and to join this community of physicians working to advance health and relieve suffering,” said Gettys. “This coat is the insignia of scientific, evidence‑based medicine, far removed from the black coats of the previous era. In donning this white coat, I look forward to the continued opportunity to learn, grow, and serve my community with integrity.”

For Ethan Bennett, from Walterboro, S.C., and the Hartness Scholar at SOMG, the white coat represents the responsibility of the profession.  

“Receiving my white coat serves as a tangible symbol of honor and responsibility to uphold the integrity and professionalism of the medical profession,” Bennett said. “Accepting the white coat is making a promise to continuously persevere through tribulations in the pursuit of providing compassionate patient centered care, delivered with empathy, compassion, knowledge, and kindness to my future patients.”