The White Coat Ceremony organized by the Faculty of Medicine of Marmara University was held on Tuesday, 16 December, at the Prof. Dr. Işıl Barlan Conference Hall of Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital, with the participation of students. The ceremony was attended by Marmara University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Okur, Vice Rector and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof. Dr. Ümit Süleyman Şehirli, Chief Physician of Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital Prof. Dr. Alper Kepez, faculty members and students of the Faculty of Medicine.The program, which began with a moment of silence and the singing of the Turkish National Anthem, continued with opening speeches.
Rector Prof. Dr. Okur: “This is a garment of responsibility”.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rector Prof. Dr. Okur expressed his happiness and satisfaction at being with the students for such an important occasion. Noting that the white coat represents the beginning of the medical profession, he said: 'This is a garment of responsibility. It is the beginning of medicine.” Emphasising that medicine is a sacred profession, Okur evaluated the medical profession together with teaching and parenthood, referring to three sacred relationships. He said that the relationships between parents and children, teachers and students, and physicians and patients are extremely important and sacred, and are entirely founded on trust.
Emphasising that the students will practise an extremely important profession, Rector Okur recalled the words of Nurettin Topçu: 'Self-interest wants to live; morality wants to keep alive.' In a world focused on consumption, he stated that the profession of keeping people alive is medicine and that this is only possible with a moral stance. In this context, Okur also referred to Ibn Sina, stating that Ibn Sina was a figure who combined medicine with morality and, at the same time, as a serious philosopher, approached the medical profession on a philosophical and ethical basis. Stating that compassion is perhaps the most important characteristic of the medical profession, Okur said that compassion should not be lost for the sake of self-interest. Noting that the previous century was the age of positivism, in which reason came to the fore, and that today artificial intelligence has entered every aspect of life, Okur emphasized that reason and intelligence are important, but that the fundamental element that must not be neglected is conscience. He stated that we are living in a period in which reason and intelligence are prominent, while conscience has become dulled.
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Okur also gave an example from the Ottoman period, noting that those who worked as butchers did not practice this profession throughout the entire year, but worked as butchers for nine months and as gardeners for three months. Okur stated that the reason for this was to prevent the dulling of conscience and the loss of compassion, and said that, in this sense, physicians would be the ones to bring conscience to the forefront. Concluding his speech, Rector Okur emphasized that life begins and often ends under the gaze of a physician, noting that a newborn's first look is usually directed at a doctor. He highlighted that physicians bear a profound responsibility to society and play a crucial role in representing moral values.
Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Şehirli said, “These white coats are your conscience”.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice-Rector and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Ümit Süleyman Şehirli, stated that the students would today wear their white coats, the honourable symbol of the medical profession. Şehirli noted that ‘the word “physician” (hekim), in terms of its origin, means one who possesses wisdom, one who knows,’ and stated that this concept carries a much deeper meaning than the more academic and technical term ‘medical doctor’.Stating that when students combine the white coats they will wear with the knowledge and conscientious values they will acquire over six years, these will become wings that elevate them, Prof. Dr. Şehirli emphasized that medicine is an extremely important profession. In this context, he recalled the statement, ‘Whoever kills a soul, it is as if he has killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a soul, it is as if he has saved the lives of all humanity,’ and said that through their professional knowledge, students would be instrumental in saving many lives.
Stating that they will work within a healthcare system different from today’s in their professional lives, Prof. Dr. Şehirli emphasized that students should therefore benefit optimally from the six-year education period. Noting that while developing technology produces beneficial outcomes on the one hand, on the other hand, we live in a world where wars are watched via live broadcasts, Şehirli stated that an eclipse of reason is being experienced as images of bombed cities, injured people, and deceased children are witnessed. Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Şehirli stated that wars, global climate change, and migration have a profound impact on all of humanity, and that humanity is currently undergoing a crucial test. Reminding students that they are living in such a period, Şehirli asked them to be prepared for it.
Emphasizing that what makes the medical profession valuable is not only technical knowledge but also superior human values, Şehirli stated that students must make the most of their six-year education and develop themselves in every aspect. Expressing that the energy and excitement of youth should nurture what is good and right, Şehirli concluded his speech with the words: 'These white coats are your conscience. Wear them with untarnished honor.' He added that his greatest wish is for these coats to be kept spotless through knowledge, hard work, integrity, and a love for humanity, wishing the students success, perseverance, and strength on their journey as physicians.
Prof. Dr. Alper Kepez, Chief Physician at Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital, stated that the white coat ceremony marks a meaningful beginning in the journey of medicine, emphasizing that the profession is long and arduous, but also extremely enjoyable and carries a sacred responsibility.
After the opening remarks, the event proceeded to the white coat ceremony. Students were called to the stage where they were donned in their white coats by their professors. The ceremony concluded with a group photo taken after the white coat ceremony.
