Join us for The 31st White Coat Ceremony
By College of Medicine | Sep 11, 2025
We will proudly host the White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2029 on Friday, September 12, 2025. Honoring our tradition of showcasing distinguished alumni, Shari Andrews, M.D.,(COM’10’10), an Emergency Medicine Physician, Author, and Wellness Coach, will deliver this year’s
keynote address.
New students in the College of Medicine receive their first white coat from a faculty member and recite an oath, signifying formal entry into the medical profession.
The White Coat Ceremony marks a significant rite of passage for medical students. Created by Dr. Arnold P. Gold, a pediatric neurologist at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, in 1993, Dr. Gold envisioned the Ceremony to highlight the importance of compassion in patient care right from the start of medical training. It welcomes students into healthcare and emphasizes the value of humanism as the profession’s foundation, combining compassion with scientific excellence.
Following the first Ceremony at Columbia, Dr. Gold’s wife, Dr. Sandra Gold, helped spread the event globally through the Gold Foundation. Our College of Medicine proudly became one of the first medical schools to adopt the White Coat Ceremony in 1994. This tradition has continued for 31 years. Today, White Coat Ceremonies occur at nearly all U.S. and international medical schools and other health professions programs, with sponsorship from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
About Dr. Andrews
Dr. Andrews is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, Amazon bestselling author, wellness coach, and proud SUNY Downstate alumna. She served as President of the Medical Board at Northwell Glen Cove Hospital from 2023 to 2025 and was twice named Physician of the Year–in 2019 and again in 2025.
She is the author of Find Your Pulse: Thriving in Career, Motherhood, and Self-Discovery, a memoir-meets-motivation book that explores the balance between high-stakes careers with personal identity while overcoming societal pressures. Her work inspires empowerment, resilience, and lasting change.
Dr. Andrews is the founder of Peak Pulse, a coaching platform for busy professionals and single moms prioritizing mind-body wellness without losing momentum; Teeny Dose, a blog making real-world healthcare more digestible; and Statement Piece NY, a fashion boutique turned content studio rooted in bold self-expression.
Her expertise and message have been featured by The Tamron Hall Show, Dr. Oz, New York Weekly, AARP Magazine, and more. Known for her authenticity, relatability, and her signature Triage Framework, Dr. Andrews equips high achievers with tools to balance, breathe, and thrive. Her mission is simple: to help others reset, realign, and find their rhythm one pulse check at a time.
Dr. Andrews has also graciously arranged for each member of the Class of 2029 to receive a copy of her book following the Ceremony.
Join us in celebrating the Class of 2029 by watching the 31st Annual White Coat Ceremony live on YouTube. You can watch either Ceremony by following the links below: