Three male students stand together after they receive their white coats.
WHO: The Class of 2020, West Virginia University School of Medicine
WHAT: The annual John W. Traubert White Coat Ceremony, where the105-member class will don the most significant symbol of their chosen profession – the white coat – for the first time.
WHEN: Saturday, March 17, 10 a.m.
WHERE: Metropolitan Theatre, High Street, Morgantown
This year, the class boasts seven legacy students, with parents who are also graduates of WVU’s program in medicine:
- • Reed Andrews is the son of Judie Charlton, M.D. (Class of 1985)
- • Katherine Bergman is the daughter of Gary Bergman, M.D. (Class of 1987)
- • Julian Fazi is the son of Burt Fazi, M.D. (Class of 1982)
- • Michael Gerbo is the son of Robert Gerbo, M.D. (Class of 1990)
- • Calla Walters is the daughter of Torin Walters, M.D. (Class of 1990)
- • David Zekan is the son of Steve Zekan, M.D. (Class of 1975)
- • Philip Hurst is the son of Michael Hurst, M.D. (Class of 1993-residency training)
Featured speaker will be WVU School of Medicine alumna Lauren W. Morgan Swager, M.D. Swager is associate professor of behavioral medicine at WVU. She completed a psychiatry residency and a child and adolescent fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her clinical interests include the diagnosis and treatment of childhood depression, bipolar disorder, psychiatric disorders, autism, development delays, ADHD, substance use and anxiety disorders. Swager is a graduate of the Class of 2003 and is a proud third generation graduate of the WVU School of Medicine. She is the fourth in her family to serve as president of the WVU School of Medicine Alumni Association.
The ceremony stresses the importance of the doctor-patient relationship and the relevance of the white coat as a cloak of compassion. A reception follows the ceremony.
-WVU-
ts/03/15/18
CONTACT: Tara Scatterday
WVU School of Medicine
304.293.0630; tdscatterday@hsc.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.