During its annual White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 17 UConn School of Dental Medicine officially welcomed its incoming class of 48 first-year students hailing from across Connecticut and the nation. In fact, 48 percent of the new dental students are Connecticut residents.
Dr. Steven Lepowsky, senior associate dean for education and patient care, kicked-off the special event: “Welcome to the class of 2022,” said Lepowsky. “The White Coat Ceremony is a traditional rite of passage into our healthcare community.”
Lepowsky shared how the tradition of gifting each incoming student in training with a white coat continues from UConn dental school’s first ceremony in 1997.
“The white coat is a symbol of trust that society places in you,” Lepowsky informed the new dental students. “We have tremendous confidence in our students.”
In addition, the White Coat Ceremony welcomed the dental school’s incoming new dean Dr. Sharon M. Gordon. She is the 7th dean in the dental school’s history and the first woman ever in the role.
“Thank you for letting me be a part of this special day,” said Gordon addressing the dental students. “I join in the enthusiasm of donning the white coat. It symbolizes the foundation of our dental sciences.”
Gordon added: “You will earn it through blood, sweat, tears – and yes, saliva. Like Superman’s cape, it is not a source of power, but an icon of duty. Let it serve as a constant reminder of your service and care.”
Fourth-year dental student, Wanjin Kim, also addressed the fresh class of students promising them: “Here you’ll see how much more there is to dentistry then you ever imagined. We hope you enjoy this incredible journey. UConn School of Dental Medicine is truly one of the top dental schools in the U.S. and it’s an absolute privilege to be here.”
New members of the incoming Class of 2022 couldn’t agree more.
“I am really excited,” said Dimitri Adamidis, 24, of Rocky Hill who graduated from Trinity College and chose UConn dental school for its small class size and innovative, team-based learning curriculum. “This is a really special day to officially join the community of dentists. The white coat has a lot of weight to it, and symbolizes to me always putting patients first.”
“The school is preparing us already to be successful future dentists,” shared Christian Watkins, 23, joining UConn from the University of Central Florida. “I am thrilled. Everyone is so nice here, plus we walked into brand new facilities.”
“The people here are just amazing,” shared Robert Violette, 22, of Wallingford. “I went to undergrad at UConn, and I am part of the UConn family still.”
Also, sharing words of wisdom with the new class of dental students was Connecticut State Dental Association (CSDA) President Dr. David Fried, also an UConn alum.
“I welcome you to the best profession in the world and good luck,” Fried said. “Rest assured, you are in the right place. Your ship is setting sail at UConn, and you have the best accommodations and facilities. You will emerge as dentists.”
