LKSOM Class of 2027 White Coat Ceremony Program

LEWIS KATZ SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

PROCESSIONAL WELCOME

Maryellen E. Gusic, MD

Senior Associate Dean, Education

Professor of Biomedical Education and Data Science

Professor of Pediatrics

DEAN’S ADDRESS

Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS

The Marjorie Joy Katz Dean

Lewis Katz School of Medicine

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Altha J. Stewart, MD ’78

Senior Associate Dean for Community Health Engagement — College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

THE COATING

Maryellen E. Gusic, MD

Shaden Eldakar-Hein, MD

Senior Associate Dean, St. Luke’s Campus

THE COATERS

Ikemefuna Akusoba, MD

Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS

Candrice Heath, MD

Jean Lee, MD

Noah Levinson, MD

STUDENT PARTICIPANTS

Alexa Graboske ’26

OATH OF GENEVA

Dione Cash, MD, MPH

Associate Dean, Student Support

Monica Garced ’26

CLASS PLEDGE

Tecile Andolino, MD

Hillel Maresky, MD

Manuel Puente, MD

Gerald Sterling, PhD

Altha J. Stewart, MD ’78

Anjali Vaidya, MD

David Miller ’26

Associate Dean, Student Support, St. Luke’s Campus

Yaniv Maddahi ’26

GIFT

Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS

CLOSING

Maryellen E. Gusic, MD

ABOUT ALTHA J. STEWART, MD ’78

Over a nearly 40-year career, psychiatrist Altha J. Stewart, MD ’78 has been a leader and pioneer in her field, and is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in community and public health, trauma-informed care and the study of health disparities. She currently serves as Senior Associate Dean for Community Health Engagement and Associate Professor of Psychiatry in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee (UT) Health Science Center in her native Memphis, as well as the Health Science Center’s Director of Public and Community Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being. The Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being is recognized statewide as a leader in work to reduce the number of out-of-home and community placements for youth with untreated mental illness and trauma-related issues. Dr. Stewart concurrently leads the UT Department of Psychiatry’s efforts to create a community psychiatry fellowship program, through which the institution will grow the behavioral health workforce and increase access to family support specialists, to ultimately assist youth and their families to navigate child-serving systems of care. In her role as Senior Associate Dean, Dr. Stewart works to improve the health of all residents by reducing health disparities impacting minority community members and promoting increased community engagement.

In 2017, Dr. Stewart made history when she became the first African American elected president of the American Psychiatric Association in the organization’s 175-year history. She is currently president of the American Association for Community Psychiatry. She is a past president of the Black Psychiatrists of America, the Association of Women Psychiatrists and the American Psychiatric Foundation. In 2022, she was awarded the prestigious Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health for her dedication to helping disadvantaged and underserved people who are living with mental illnesses. This past April, she received the Henry P. and M. Page Laughlin Alumna of the Year Award from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine.

Dr. Stewart graduated from Christian Brothers University in Memphis with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. After receiving a medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine, she completed her residency at Drexel University.

ABOUT THE LEWIS KATZ SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Founded in 1901 as Pennsylvania’s first co-educational medical school, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University has earned a national reputation for attracting students and faculty who, like alumni of the school, are committed to making a difference at home and across the globe. Our two campuses for MD program students, North Philadelphia and St. Luke’s in Bethlehem, PA, and our rich network of clinical learning sites provide students with a superb knowledge base and the skills they need for successful careers in clinical practice, academia, or industry.

In addition to the MD degree, the school offers Master and PhD degrees in Biomedical Sciences, an MA in Urban Bioethics, the MMS in Physician Assistant Studies, a certificate in Narrative Medicine, and a post-baccalaureate MD preparatory program. Katz faculty researchers conduct ground-breaking scientific investigation, pushing the boundaries of patient care. Our primary clinical partner, Temple University Hospital, sponsors more than 40 accredited specialty and subspecialty residency and fellowship programs.

In 2015, the school was officially named the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in honor of Lewis Katz (1942-2014), Temple alumnus, trustee, visionary leader, and ardent supporter. The name recognizes Mr. Katz’s decades of devotion to the university and the values he embodied. In 2022, Amy J. Goldberg MD, FACS, was named dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. A nationallyrenown trauma surgeon who built a 30-year career at Temple, Dr. Goldberg is the first woman to serve as dean in the school’s history. In 2023, the dean’s chair was named to honor Lewis Katz’s wife, the late philanthropist Marjorie Joy Katz.

ABOUT THE TEMPLE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Listed on Philadelphia’s register of historic structures, the Temple Performing Arts Center was built in 1891 for the congregation of Pastor Russell Conwell, founder of Temple University. On its lower level is the Chapel of the Four Chaplains, a multi-denominational chapel honoring four Army chaplains of different faiths who gave up their life preservers to save their shipmates on the sinking USAT Dorchester after it was torpedoed off the coast of Greenland during WWII. Over the years, the building has hosted hundreds of university events and visiting dignitaries, including Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Margaret Mead. Today it hosts university events, performances, ceremonies, and celebrations.

AN OATH BASED UPON THE DECLARATION OF GENEVA

I SOLEMNLY PLEDGE to dedicate my life to the service of humanity; THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING of my patient will be my first consideration; I WILL RESPECT the autonomy and dignity of my patient; I WILL MAINTAIN the utmost respect for human life;

I WILL NOT PERMIT consideration of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing, or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient; I WILL RESPECT the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died;

I WILL PRACTICE my profession with conscience and dignity and in accordance with good medical practice; I WILL FOSTER the honor and noble traditions of the medical profession; I WILL GIVE to my teachers, colleagues, and students the respect and gratitude that is their due;

I WILL SHARE my medical knowledge for the benefit of the patient and the advancement of health care; I WILL ATTEND to my own health, well-being, and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard; I WILL NOT USE my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat;

I MAKE THESE PROMISES solemnly, freely, and upon my honor.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WHITE COAT

Early in the history of medicine, when hospitals were places for “incurables,” clerics wore black robes, the color associated with mourning and death. In the late 19th century, when aseptic techniques were introduced and medicine began to gain ground, physicians began wearing the white protective overcoats worn by laboratory workers. Before long, the garb caught on and became the universal uniform of the physician. In addition to connoting a sense of cleanliness, the coat symbolizes professional and personal integrity.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The gifts provided to each student in the Class of 2027 were made possible by the donations of alumni, faculty, staff, supporters, and friends of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine —- with special thanks to E. Ronald Salvitti, MD ’63.

LEWIS KATZ, OUR NAMESAKE

He was raised by a single mother who believed in him. He earned a scholarship to attend Temple University. He achieved great success in business —- and as a philanthropist. His whole life was about giving. To learn more about Lewis Katz, scan the QR code at right to watch the rousing address he gave at Temple University Commencement in 2014.

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