Somerville Resident Cloaked at Regis' White Coat Ceremony

WESTON, MA - Elizabeth Ashley Equi of Somerville was one of 137 nurse practitioners to be recognized at Regis College’s first White Coat Ceremony.

The ceremony took place on May 3 and she was presented with the white coat to mark the start of her career in the medical profession.

“Putting it simply, the white coat is associated with science,” Regis President Antoinette Hays said in a press release. “It is a powerful professional symbol. For nursing students in particular, whose profession seems finally to be coming into its own to be recognized as a significant partner in health care, the white coat signifies mutual and collegial respect, dignity, and acknowledgment of know-how.”

During the ceremony, students are brought on stage and given the coat in the presence of family, friends and colleagues to show their transition from novice to professional.

Regis is a leading Catholic university in Greater Boston with over 1900 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in the arts, sciences and health professions.

Photo courtesy of Regis College