Under the bright lights of the Alys Stephens Center, the UAB School of Dentistry Class of 2026 took center stage to celebrate a pivotal moment – their White Coat Ceremony.
The August 8 event was filled with pride and anticipation as third-year dental students received their white coats and vowed to be champions for their patients. The auditorium buzzed with excitement as families, friends, and faculty gathered to witness this rite of passage. A significant milestone and celebration of the journey ahead, the event marks the half-way point in the D.M.D. program and their entry into full-fledged clinical care.
White Coat Ceremony was a culmination of a day full of activities. That morning, ‘Family Day,’ hosted by the SOD Student Government Association, provided an opportunity for D3 students bring their families to the school to tour its dental clinics and laboratories, socialize with each other, and experience dental student life.
The white coat tradition was first celebrated at UAB SOD in 1999. The 24th edition began with inspiring remarks Parrish King, D.M.D., president of the dental school alumni association, and included a heartfelt address by SOD Dean Nicolaas Geurs, D.D.S., M.S. Pointing out to the students that the next phase of their education will focus on their growth as clinicians, Geurs that emphasized excellence in patient care and the importance of the white coat as a symbol of professionalism, responsibility, and trust.
“Wearing the white coat is a privilege that extends beyond the technical skills of the dental profession. It comes with the highest ethical expectations,” he said. “Remember that each coat you wear in the future represents the countless individuals who will place their trust in your expertise and care. It is your compassion that will make the most profound impact on the lives of your patients.”
After reciting a special UAB version of The Dentist’s Pledge to mark their commitment to ethical practice and patient care, students were invited, row by row, to walk on stage to be “coated” by representatives of the school’s faculty. The sound of cheers from family and friends filled the room as each student passed by a line of faculty who greeted them with smiles and handshakes as they exited the stage.
The moment was a culmination of hard work, dedication, and a passion for dentistry for the 107 members of the class who hail from 27 different undergraduate colleges, 13 states, and 5 continents. The class includes 22 International Dentist Program students from 9 different countries. Notably, over 20% of the class is from rural areas and 11 are first-generation college students.
Among the class are three students whose backgrounds might be different, but who are connected by their passion for dentistry and their choice to study at UAB.
Class president Evan Parker, a Florence, Ala. native and UAB graduate, says his career search led him to UAB School of Dentistry. Interested in the medical field, Parker Googled the human body and landed on teeth. But it was the moment, during a dental shadowing experience, he saw a woman’s teeth and attitude transformed that convinced him he had indeed found his career calling.
Calling UAB her “dream school,” Alesia Shaaban traveled more than 5,000 miles from her home in Belarus to enroll as part of the International Dentist Program. She worked as a dentist for several years before coming to the United States with her daughter to join her husband, who was already in the U.S., and earn a second dental degree.
D.M.D./Ph.D. student Edwin Miguel Rojas is wrapping up his final two years of a seven-year adventure at UAB. A native of Queens, N.Y., he spent his entire life in the Northeast, including four years at Western Connecticut State University, where he received a degree in chemistry. Interested in both the dental field and scientific research, Rojas chose UAB for the unique opportunity to align chemistry with dentistry as a dual degree student.
Regardless of their journeys to this point, all the members of the Class of 2024 made an important step down the road to their professional careers on August 9, underscoring their dedication to the field of dentistry and their future impact on patient care.
"No matter the country, background, or native language, we stand strong as a family,” says Parker. “I am incredibly proud of how we all support each other through thick and thin. The UAB standard is best represented by the hard work and excellence of the class of 2026."