White Coat Ceremony by Quisqueya University, a Proof of Optimism

PÉTION-VILLE.—Quisqueya University organized, at the end of last week, a White Coat and Stethoscope Ceremony. This event marks the career launch in the health field for about thirty students, who have shown optimism in a context marked by an alarming erosion of values in the country.

It is a symbolic step in the journey of these first and fifth-session medical students, eyes closed as if in prayer, heads held high, proud to repeat the Hippocratic Oath in a loud and clear voice.

The event took place in the presence of the deans, the rectorate, parents, as well as several distinguished guests, including the advisor-president Dr. Louis Gérald Gilles, and Dr. Prince Sonçon Pierre, executive director of the State University Hospital of Haiti.

In his address, Dr. Louis Gérald Gilles praised the students' dedication, reminding them that this ceremony marks a decisive stage in their academic journey. «I invite you to base your practice on three essential pillars: competence, ethics, and humanity,» said Gilles.

The Advisor-President also took the opportunity to advocate for inclusive access to healthcare, emphasizing the importance of building an equitable, humane, and accessible healthcare system for all.

The ceremony was an opportunity for the patron, Dr. Jean-William Pape, patron of the graduating class, to highlight the mission and great qualities a doctor wearing the white coat must possess. «He is a humanist, a modest man, full of compassion, a leader, a man ready to serve his patients and the members of his fraternity,» he specified.

William Pape asked his protégés to arm themselves with courage and loyalty in the practice of their profession, emphasizing that the scientific nature of medicine does not diminish its sacerdotal aspect. «A doctor is called to sacrifice themselves to save lives, as defined by the Hippocratic Oath,» he added.

For his part, Jacques Edouard Alexis, advisor to Rector Jacky Lumarque, who was absent from the ceremony, advised the young doctors to cultivate their humanist quality, great sensitivity, and the ability to dialogue and listen to patients.

While awaiting their graduation ceremony, the young doctors will practice providing care to patients as part of their social service. This white coat and stethoscope ceremony demonstrates optimism and faith in a better tomorrow at a time when hope is fading.