Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Hosts 20th Anniversary White Coat Ceremony

When the 20th anniversary of the White Coat Ceremony was held on August 8, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) Administration welcomed 178 incoming medical students to the Newark campus.

When the future physicians donned their white coats in the presence of family, friends and faculty, they symbolically took the first step in their medical education journey.

The Barbara and Norman Seiden White Coat Ceremony took place at 4 p.m. on Friday, August 8, at the Delta Dental Conference Center in Newark. Many students in the Class of 2018 have interesting backgrounds.

Incoming student Claire Sathe, a 34-year old wife and mother of two young children, was an attorney before deciding to change careers. She became passionate about health and wellness while working in the Federal Public Defender’s Office in New Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which is dedicated to fostering humanism in medicine, founded the ceremony in 1993. It remains a cherished rite of passage for first-year students nationwide who are entering a career dedicate to service, healing and research. Before the Class of 2018 read the Hippocratic Oath in unison, students from the class of 2015 participated in the Gold Humanism Honor Society Induction Ceremony.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School was founded in 1954 and is the oldest school of medicine in the state. Today it is part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and graduates approximately 170 physicians a year.

In addition to providing the MD degree, the school offers MD/PhD, MD/MPH and MD/MBA degrees through collaborations with other institutions of higher education. Dedicated to excellence in education, research, clinical care and community outreach, the medical school comprises 22 academic departments and works with several healthcare partners, including its principal teaching hospital, The University Hospital. Its faculty consists of numerous world-renowned scientists and many of the region’s “top doctors.” Home to the nation’s oldest student-run clinic, New Jersey Medical School hosts more than 50 centers and institutes, including the Public Health Research Institute Center, the Global Tuberculosis Institute and the Neurological Institute of New Jersey.

For more information please visit: njms.rutgers.edu

Incoming Student Briefs

Claire Sathe, Esq., 34, Hoboken resident (HUDSON COUNTY): After leaving Paris, France in 2001, Claire Sathe, Esq. moved to the USA in pursuit of an adventurous life and a professional degree. She received a Liberal Arts degree from Sciences Po in Paris and, as a result of a partial scholarship that was designated for French undergraduate students, Sathe enrolled in law school at Columbia University. After graduating from law school in 2005, she served as a junior associate at a Manhattan-based firm before moving to New Orleans with her husband in 2008. They arrived in Louisiana and witnessed the catastrophic impact Hurricane Katrina had on the city. He worked on recovery efforts and she initially worked as a law clerk with a federal judge before accepting a position with the Federal Public Defenders Office. She noticed a correlation between her poverty stricken clients and their varying levels of poor health. Although she was responsible for helping clients with legal issues, she wanted to positively influence their health outcomes. They suffered from behavioral health issues, untreated pain and physical injuries. A desire for an even more meaningful career, led Sathe to pursue post-baccalaureate coursework at Rutgers University-Newark. That decision prepared her for acceptance into New Jersey Medical School. The couple has two children, ages 3 and 4.

Madeleine Hu, 20, Newark (ESSEX COUNTY) from Mountain Lakes, NJ: Madeleine Hu will earn three degrees when she graduates. Unlike her fellow first-year students, Hu is not scheduled to graduate with the Class of 2018. Instead, after completing a seven-year curriculum, she will receive: a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Biology from The College of New Jersey; a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from New Jersey Medical School (NJMS); and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at NJMS. Fascinated by the medical implications of research, Hu has conducted basic science studies in Genetics at University of Pennsylvania. This Phi Beta Kappa honors student, who also studied abroad at Oxford University last year, finds fulfillment in Genetics, genomics and cancer research. She believes the educational experience at Rutgers will prepare her to become a well-rounded physician who can diagnose and recommend treatment options that are best suited for her patients. Once her degrees are conferred, Hu plans to split her time between running a research laboratory and treating patients. Through Translational Research, this future physician and scientist plans to help bridge the gap between discoveries pioneered in research labs and clinical care delivered at the bedside.

Uchenna “Uche” Ubozoh, 24, West Orange (ESSEX COUNTY): Before earning an undergraduate degree in History of Science, History of Medicine from Yale University, Uchenna “Uche” Ubozoh planned to follow in the professional footsteps of his pediatrician. Ubozoh’s perspective of public health, medicine, and the delivery of compassionate care were initially shaped by discussions with his pediatrician. His decision to pursue a career in medicine was solidified in 2006 during a visit to Nigeria, the birthplace of his parents. Ubozoh, 24, was devastated by systemic barriers to healthcare that many patients experienced. After having two strokes, his grandfather lacked access to proper medication and physical treatment. As a result of these inequities and disparities in health care within the USA, this West Orange resident spent a year volunteering in the Child Life Department at University Hospital in Newark. After becoming a physician, Ubozoh plans to establish a health center where the highest quality of care is delivered to medically underserved populations.

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