CDM Welcomes Class of 2028 With White Coat Ceremony

Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine welcomed the incoming Class of 2028 at a ceremony during which the future dentists received their white coats. In 1993, Columbia's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons was among the first medical schools in the country to establish the annual tradition to reinforce a strong commitment to humanistic practice.

Dana Wolf, DDS, senior associate dean for predoctoral academic and student affairs, welcomed the students and their families and introduced the Rev. Dr. Ian Rottenberg
dean of religious life at Columbia, who delivered the invocation. He called the day a “culmination of the aspiring clinicians’ hard work” and suggested that the ceremony was an opportunity for them to “enter a reflective space.”

Roseanna Graham, DDS ‘05, PhD ‘10, interim dean of the College, also welcomed the new class. She recalled the great pride that she felt when receiving her white coat and said that she looked forward to getting to know the new class over the next four years.

Joseph McManus DMD, senior associate dean of admissions, said that members of the Class of 2028 are among the most talented dental students in the world and have gained admission to the most competitive dental class in the country. He noted that members of the class hail from 19 states and one foreign country. He joked that, because he had signed all of their admissions letters, “every good thing that happens in their careers is thanks to me.”

“The white coat is an emblem of accomplishment,” he said. “It stands for everything that is noble. “

Lorna Flamer-Caldera, the chair-elect of the American College of Dentists, New York section, spoke about the ACD, calling it the “conscience of dentistry.”  And Kayla Thomsen and Omid Jamshidi, current CDM students and orientation chairs, encouraged students to enjoy their time at CDM.

 The white coat ceremony kicks off a week of wide-ranging orientation activities that includes a Global and Self Awareness workshop, an anatomy lab, a Skyline boat cruise on the Hudson, Hadestown on Broadway, a pickleball social and a Yankee game.