- I wish to express my sincere appreciation for your academic achievements to date, as you have successfully completed an essential stage of the medical training program. You have acquired the knowledge, rooted in solid theoretical foundations, that serves as the basis for your clinical studies. From your third year onwards, you get closer and closer to the goal that you came to achieve at this university: to become proficient physicians- said Professor Norbert Németh, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, in his address to the third-year medical students.
The head of the faculty noted that, when students embark on their preclinical studies, they get closer and closer to the actual patients' bedside. Meanwhile, as their knowledge expands, the responsibility resting upon them also grows. The Faculty of Medicine is committed to training expert physicians who, besides possessing high-level knowledge together with excellent practical skills and competencies, also practice their profession with empathy, ethics and exemplary conduct. It is this dedication and a lifelong commitment to helping others, as well as the responsibility that accompanies it, that the white coat symbolizes.
- You, who put on your new white coats today, are already doing so in the spirit of clinical studies, and all of this is symbolically embodied in you. Your patients will turn to you with confidence, but this also comes with higher expectations and responsibility. The remaining part of your studies will not be easy either, but do not ever forget that every hour you spend studying, practicing and preparing will bring you closer to becoming a good doctor. I wish you to feel joy when you acquire new knowledge, to feel an unwavering and purposeful dedication during your studies since, within a few years, you will be endowed with all the rights and obligations that belong to a doctor of medicine- said the dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
Following the dean's speech, the third-year medical students put on their white medical gowns with their names embroidered on them.
Next, they took a symbolic oath, pledging, among other things, to pursue their studies with dedication; to always use their knowledge and skills for the benefit of patients and in the service of healing and disease prevention; and to regard the white coat not merely as the start of their clinical studies, but as a symbol of the vocation, trust and responsibility awaiting them, wearing it in a manner worthy of that significance.
- You can be incredibly proud of yourselves. Over the past two years, you have proven that you possess the perseverance, diligence and determination required to complete this journey. I do hope that you will become medical students, and later, doctors, who not only hear the patients but really listen to them. Doctors who never forget that, behind every medical condition, there is a human being with their own story, fears, hopes and feelings. I also want you to remember that the white coat is a symbol not only of knowledge but of humility, empathy and the acceptance of responsibility as well- said Bernadett Balog, President of the Student Union of the University of Debrecen of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Debrecen.
Dina Hussein, Vice-President of the International Student Union at the Faculty of Medicine, who addressed the international medical students, also drew the attention of the third-year students to the fact that receiving the white coat is more than just a ceremony, as it symbolizes the beginning of a new kind of responsibility.
- Please accept my congratulations on reaching this important milestone. The white coat signifies not only the mastery of medical knowledge but also a commitment to serving patients with compassion, humility and respect. From this point onwards, the medical profession becomes increasingly real for you. The knowledge you have acquired will gradually transform into decisions, conversations and responsible actions capable of making a genuine difference in the lives of others. During the course of your journey, you will discover that what matters is not merely knowing the right answer, but also your ability to listen, communicate and preserve your humaneness during pivotal moments- said Dina Hussein.
As part and parcel of the ceremony, Professor Norbert Németh, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, shook hands with each one of the third-year students, already clad in white coats, and presented them with their personalized name tags.
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