On Friday, Oct. 1, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) recognized its fourth class of osteopathic medicine students, the Class of 2025, during its annual White Coat Ceremony.

In the presence of family, friends, faculty and staff, more than 150 student physicians were officially welcomed into the medical community and “cloaked” with their first white coats at the Morrison Center in Boise. 

“Despite the divisiveness, the long hours, the shortages, everything that has besieged us with this pandemic, health care must go on and medical education must go on,” said Dr. Thomas J. Mohr, ICOM Dean and Chief Academic Officer. “Our faces may be obscured by masks, but that doesn’t hide the dedication, enthusiasm and passion that our student doctors have for their future careers as physicians.”

The White Coat Ceremony is a tradition that signifies the osteopathic medical student’s entrance into the medical profession and their commitment to patient care. Along with the Osteopathic Oath, this rite of passage emphasizes the dedication and solemn responsibility of osteopathic physicians to the health of their patients and communities.

Reagan B. Anderson, DO, FAOCD, FAAD, FASMS, CAQ Mohs Micrographic Surgery, MPH, MCS, and former First Reconnaissance Battalion Surgeon, delivered the keynote address. Dr. Anderson is the author of “Universal Death Care – A Solution for Healthcare in the Age of Entitlement,” and provided each student doctor with a copy of his book. 

ICOM Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, Kevin Wilson, DO, FACOI, FACP, led the Class of 2025 in reciting the Osteopathic Oath, which is again sworn during the traditional doctoral hooding ceremony four years hence. 

The physician’s white coat has been part of the profession since the 19th century. The concept originated from the operating room’s white coat, and has served as a visual symbol of the profession that stands for the need to balance excellence in science with compassionate caring for the patient.

ICOM’s Class of 2025 is comprised of 162 students from across the United States — 19 of whom hail from Idaho and 34 from across ICOM’s five-state target region, which includes Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota.