Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine holds 15th annual White Coat Ceremony welcoming class of 2027

Aug. 5—SCRANTON — Wearing the white coat of the medical profession for the first time Saturday was an emotional experience for Olivia Zehel because it marked the start of her future.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine held its 15th annual White Coat Ceremony at The Theater at North, welcoming Zehel and the rest of the class of 2027 of 119 incoming students.

Officials from the medical school at 525 Pine St. in Scranton presented each student with their own individualized white coat — the uniform and symbol of physicians.

"I am definitely starting on the path and that's the most exciting part," Zehel said in an interview before the ceremony.

A graduate of Holy Cross High School and the University of Scranton, where she studied biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and philosophy, Zehel plans to pursue pediatrics or family medicine. She is enrolled in Geisinger Commonwealth's Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program that aims to erase student loan debt and help fill a regional need for physicians.

Under the scholars program, for every one year that a Geisinger Commonwealth-graduated doctor works in the Geisinger system after finishing residency training, Geisinger forgives one year of tuition.

The mission of medicine and

the scholars program appealed to Zehel.

"Part of my undergraduate training at the University of Scranton really taught me a lot about what it means to care for whole person. In my selection of a medical school, Geisinger was the one for me that felt like it was going to get me there," Zehel said. "Born and raised here 22 years, so why not come back. I love this area."

Another Abigail Geisinger scholar, Mia Gianello of Old Forge, is pursuing medicine for a "life of service." A graduate of Scranton Prep and the University of Scranton, where she studied neuroscience and biomathematics, Gianello, 22, might pursue child and adolescent psychiatry.

"Growing up in the Scranton area, I saw the work that Geisinger did in our community and it really inspired me to not only want to give back to my community, but also as a physician, and just to live a life of service that Prep, the university and Geisinger instilled in me," Gianello said.

Nearly half of the class of 2027's students are Abigail Geisinger scholars.

White coat ceremonies are held at most medical colleges as a way to welcome new students, set expectations and give advice for their next four years of training.

A white coat is "a symbol of your professional obligation that you will wear proudly throughout your careers as physicians," school President and Dean Julie Byerley, M.D., M.P.H., told the students. "Over time, as you wear this uniform, as you learn the trade, as you commit your knowledge and skills to the service of others, this uniform will become part of your identities, whether you're wearing it or not."

Students also recited an oath acknowledging their responsibilities as future physicians and their obligations to future patients.

Lawrence Sampson, M.D., chief of vascular surgery at Geisinger's Guthrie location, presented the Dr. Lester Saidman Memorial Lecture, named in honor of the respected physician and educator from Luzerne County. Sampson urged the students to make the oath a "living oath.

"Today, you are joining the profession of medicine. The oath you take is a statement of the values we aspire and commit to as clinicians. Those values are universal," Sampson said. "To be a doctor is to commit to the care of others."

Student Nathaniel Smith said his desire to become a neurosurgeon was inspired by the example of compassionate physicians who cared for his grandparents. The Jenkins Twp. resident graduated from Pittston Area High School and the University of Scranton, where he majored in neuroscience.

"My grandparents, many of them had neurological disorders, and I saw how the doctors interacted with them and how much they cared for them," Smith, 22, said.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.

Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.

If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.

User Legend: iconModeratoriconTrusted User