Moi. Younger daughter. Older daughter. Better half. Not certain who the fellow is behind us.
We're at Emory University School of Medicine and in the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center in 2002. Now that I think about it, that guy behind us might be Woodruff himself. He was president of Coca-Cola™ from 1923-1954. He (with his brother) gave almost a quarter billion dollars to Emory.
But I digress. We were there for the White Coat Ceremony given to mark a “pivotal transition” into the medical profession and to identify students as physicians. During the ceremony, first year medical students take the Oath of Hippocrates where they swear to practice medicine ethically and are given the white coats that will recognize them as students of medicine. Similar to a graduation ceremony, new students walked onto the stage one-by-one as their names were called. Doctors and faculty members stood on stage and dressed students in white coats.
I felt a lot of pride that day, and it's only grown with the years.
Since then, my older daughter completed medical school, earned a master's degree at Oxford, completed residency, and in June will have completed her fellowship in pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplantation.
I am a fortunate man. Life's been good to me so far.
TGB
