The white lab coat has been recognized for centuries as the attire of the medical profession. This month, 52 podiatric medical students received their own white coats at the Rite of Passage ceremony at Barry University.
“In the last two years, we have had the most grueling, purposeful, and exciting times of our lives,” said David Auguste, Class of 2011 president. “Now we are ready to begin our careers as student doctors of podiatric medicine.”
More than 400 family, friends, students, and members of Barry’s faculty and staff attended the ceremony.
“When you chose a career in medicine, you are committed to putting the needs of your patients before your own; patients trust you with their medical care and the very core of their existence – their bodies,” said Dr. Gary Rothenberg, director of residency training and attending podiatrist at the Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Miami who served as the keynote speaker.
“You are embarking on a life journey that mixes science with compassion and kindness and power mixed with gentleness,” he said.
For Jonathan Selbst, Class of 2011, the speaker’s words hit close to home. His uncle and two brothers are all doctors of podiatric medicine.
“All three boys took a serious interest in podiatric medicine at a very early age,” said Dr. Phil Adler. During summer vacations or semester breaks the Selbst brothers frequently visited their uncle, Dr. Adler, at his practice in Jacksonville and learned the elements of podiatric medicine from practice management to surgery.
“They have an excellent role model and mentor in Dr. Adler,” said Dr. John Nelson, associate clinical and interim dean of the Barry School of Podiatric Medicine. “Over the years Dr. Adler has mentored dozens of podiatric medical students and the Selbsts very soon will be successfully carrying on that legacy.”
For Selbst and his uncle the ceremony was truly a rite of passage as experienced doctors pass on the torch to the younger generation.
“In the next decade many of the currently practicing podiatric physicians will begin to retire and this will allow many new DPMs to inherit highly successful practices with the superior training that they have had at Barry and in their residency training,” said Dr. Adler.
The Barry School of Podiatric Medicine has made impressive progress since its humble beginnings in the 1980s. There were 18 students in the first graduating class, no clinics, and only one hospital affiliation. Now, the school has nearly 200 podiatric medical students with at least 250 hospital based clerkships, a 36-month podiatric medical and surgical residency training program, and more than 1,000 podiatric graduates.
The Podiatry Insurance Company of America (PICA) group sponsored this event in its entirety, providing funding for the lab coats, invitations, programs, and reception which followed the event.