Date:	Aug. 3, 2007
Contact:	Ellen Averill, OSU Center for Health Sciences (918) 561-8215

OSU Medicine student doctors receive white coats 

TULSA, Okla. – A total of 88 new Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine student doctors receive medical student white coats at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, as the final step in their medical school orientation. Speaker for the event is John Fernandes, D.O./M.B.A., president and dean.

Held at Tulsa Community College - VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education, 10300 E. 81st Street, the white coat ceremony is open to the public. (map/directions)

College officials cloak recipients in white coats provided by the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association. After receiving their coats, students recite the Osteopathic Medicine Oath of Commitment, symbolizing their entrance into the osteopathic medical profession. The traditional ceremony emphasizes the importance of the doctor-patient relationship and focuses on the true meaning of the art and science of medicine. 

A brunch will be held at the OSU Center for Health Sciences campus after the ceremony. The public is invited.

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, Okla., offers programs in osteopathic medicine, biomedical sciences and forensic sciences, with an emphasis on preparing physicians for rural and under-served Oklahoma. The OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine has been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top medical schools in the nation for the past seven years. OSU operates six clinics, five in Tulsa and one in Enid.