Media Release
Ajman, Sept 29: Gulf Medical University ceremoniously conducted the White Coat Ceremony- 2016 for 258 students, from 75 countries, at the university campus here on September 29. The event drew nearly 500 family members and friends for the rite of passage, as each new medical student in the class of 2016 donned a coat.
The ceremony was honored by the presence of the chief guest professor Patrick F Ayeh-Kumi, provost- College of Health sciences, University of Ghana (Ghana) along with Thumbay Moideen, founder president and chairman, Board of Governors, Gulf Medical University. Professor Gita Ashok Raj, provost of the Gulf Medical University delivered the welcome address to the visiting dignitaries, the founder president, parents, medical students, faculty and staff of the University.
While delivering his inspirational speech to the 19th batch of new students, professor Patrick F Ayeh-Kumi stressed on the importance of the White Coat Ceremony and congratulated the new batch of students for their hard work and dedication to enter the noble profession of medicine. He highlighted that a student’s white coat symbolizes that they have been invited into the prestigious profession of medicine, a privilege which comes with great professional and ethical responsibility. Professor Patrick also briefed on the portals of collegiality, and urged the students to follow diversity of thoughts, value and communication skills. He further explained how the healthcare industry is growing in size and scale across the region, where leadership skills are going to be even more important, besides knowledge and expertise, for making significant contributions in the development of the healthcare system. Lastly, he strongly advocated the students to remain compassionate caregivers, following patient-centered practice to overcome ethical dilemma.
After touring the campus, the facilities and interacting with the faculty, Patrick F Ayeh-Kumi exclaimed, “Gulf Medical University is progressing steadily as an institution of international excellence in the medical profession. It is one of the best facilities I have ever seen and I congratulate the founder president for doing the good work.”
The founder president of Gulf Medical University, Thumbay Moideen and the faculty members of the university welcomed a total of 258 students newly admitted to the MBBS, BPT, BHS, DMD and PHARM D programmes and conferred the 'White Coats' as a symbol of their entry into their chosen professions. Professor Gita Ashok Raj administered GMU Honor Code followed by the White Coat conferral to the students.
The tradition of white coat ceremony has been practiced over the years across leading medical universities to stress the importance and significance of medical profession on the first-year students as they embark on their new journey of learning. It is an important feature of the orientation process, representing the student’s commitment to the healthcare profession, its responsibilities and obligations. New students are cloaked in their first white coats and are required to collectively recite the GMU Honor Code in a meaningful ritual before an audience of mentors, family and friends.
As a gesture of goodwill, Thumbay Moideen and provost professor Gita Ashok Raj thanked professor Patrick F Ayeh-Kumi for being part of the auspicious occasion and presented a special memento to him.
About Gulf Medical University:
The Gulf Medical University (GMU), owned and operated by Thumbay Group headquartered in DIFC (Dubai), is presently the most sought-after private medical university in the UAE. It is the first private medical university in UAE catering to all nationalities admitting students of both genders, presently having students from over 73 nationalities, and faculty and staff from 22 nations. GMU offers a range of courses including MBBS, BPT, DMD, PharmD and masters programmes in clinical pathology, public health, and toxicology. GMU is first in the region to launch unique programmes like masters in human reproductive biology, bachelor of biomedical sciences and masters in physical therapy.
GMU’s campus is equipped with dedicated research centres such as Centre for Advanced Biomedical Research and Innovation (CABRI), the biggest laboratory chain in UAE with four full-fledged laboratories and sample collection centers across the various Emirates, and the Center for Advanced Simulation in Healthcare (CASH), a multidisciplinary educational facility integrating simulation as an educational tool for providing a state-of-the-art, safe learning environment that promotes professional development.