The Presentation of the White Coat

I will preface this post with a note that it may be long and drawn out, but it was one of the proudest days of my life, so I want it well documented for my daughters and family to see.

On Friday, Sheryl and Rick spent an entire day (15 hours) traveling across the country in order to be with their daughter on this special day. Because of the white-out conditions and snow-pack on the runway, the North Pole (Erie) shut down the airport shortly after their arrival, but we got them to our house in one piece.

The much anticipated "white coat" ceremony took place on Saturday. We all packed into the Protege, (that's right, 6 people in the Protege) and headed to the Warner Theatre in downtown Erie. The Protege has not been fixed since Ang got run in to, so when we put 4 people in the backseat; there was a loud "rubbing" noise that made conversation difficult. With 8 inches of snow on the roads, we made it there in one piece. The first two pictures are of the outside of the theatre, the admission ticket, and the program.

The ceremony started with a few introductions, the pledge, and an "inspirational" video presentation. The keynote speaker was a girl that graduated from LECOM in 2002. She gave a speech about what it meant to be a doctor. She told how it felt to share in the hopes and fears of people, to be the first person to touch a new born baby in the delivery room and how it felt to be the last person to hold someones hand as they took their last breath. She told of what it was like to save a life and what it was like to feel helpless when there was no medicine left to cure an ailing patient. She told of how difficult it was to become a doctor, but how rewarding it was after you made it.

After the speaker, the students went up on the stage in groups of 4 and had one of the faculty members present them with their white coats and a stethoscope. We were at the back of the auditorium, but Rick managed to get a couple of good pictures, even though Ang had her back turned.

After they were presented their white coats, all the students had to stand and repeat the Osteopathic promise. I don't think words can describe how it felt to sit through this presentation and watch Ang receive her white coat. I don't think I have ever felt so much admiration for someone in my life. I tried to explain to Liv and Lex what this moment meant, but I think it will be years down the road before they truly understand what their mother has accomplished. I know she still has several years of school and a residency in front of her, but to think of everything she has already accomplished is mind-boggling. This is the girl who has raised two beautiful daughters while she attended school full-time and earned a degree in Microbiology. The same girl who got accepted to 4 medical schools as a non-traditional student. The same girl who gets up every morning, takes care of the kids, dogs, and house; studies for 10-12 hours and then sleeps for a few hours before doing it all over again. To say it is inspiring, is an under-statement.

I wish all of our family and friends could have been here! I can almost see the tears running down Craiger's face as the white coat was slid over his daughters arms. He would be so proud. I hope the pictures help you to share in our moment!