Eager new students, beaming faculty, proud parents dabbing off tears as they watch their sons and daughters file into the room in procession: Each year, the White Coat Ceremony evokes similar emotions; each year, the faces and stories are fresh and new.

Almost every year, UCSF adds a new language to its cosmopolitan environment. This year, one student and his family could be seen talking animatedly in American Sign Language with the interpreters who later translated the ceremony for the deaf parents. A sense of just how many different stories are carried by each entering student was also conveyed by the diversity of Alma Maters listed in the program. The roster revealed a wide array of geographic and cultural backgrounds, with both traditional and non-traditional colleges represented, ranging from the ivy leagues to regional colleges to the Air Force and Naval academies.

"You have many fantastic academic accomplishments," affirmed key note speaker Talmadge King, MD in his address. "You have advanced degrees, you are artists, dancers, singers, writers, pilots, athletes -- including an Olympian -- and seasoned community organizers who have volunteered for the Peace Corps, Habitat for Humanity and Americorps."

Dr. King, the chair of UCSF's largest department, the Department of Medicine, is known nationally as a champion for underserved and vulnerable health populations. "We must promote justice in the health care system," he intoned the core principles of medical professionalism. "Work actively to eliminate discrimination in health care, whether based on race, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, or any other social category."

The White Coat, King proposed, was a symbol of these principles, not a barrier between doctor and patient. "You must balance excellence in science with humanistic values and compassionate patient care," he urged the students.

Upon first taking the stage, King had lamented that "we did not have a 'White Coat Ceremony' when I entered medical school." He then produced his old doctor's black bag, pulled out his white coat and -- to considerable laughter and applause -- had Interim Dean Sam Hawgood "coat him".

A total of 168 students were formally dressed in their white coats on stage by their advisory college mentors, including 16 students from the UC Berkeley -- UCSF Joint Medical Program.

Interim Dean Sam Hawgood emphasized that "the privilege of wearing that white coat comes from your personal commitment, your dedication to make a difference in people's lives." He reminded the audience that UCSF counts among its graduates academic, scientific and policy leaders at the highest levels that have fought disparities in healthcare both at home and around the world.

In closing, Hawgood assured the incoming class that in only a few days, they would begin to "learn first-hand how your skills as a human being, your ability to communicate clearly, and your compassion are every bit as important as your scientific knowledge or mastery of facts."

Related story: Eisha'Z Inner World: Class of 2012 White Coat