Written by Catherine Lewis Saenz

The first week for RVUCOM Class of 2025 was a combination of icebreaker activities, skills workshops, service-based learning, and, of course, the highly anticipated White Coat Ceremony.

In Colorado, the students got a glimpse into hands-on learning with a CPR workshop led by students from the Emergency Medicine Residency Interest Club. The next day, they took a (short) trip to Happy Canyon Gulch, which runs alongside campus, to pull up invasive species and weeds as a service project. The week ended with an in-person White Coat Ceremony on the RVU East Lawn, during which students received their white coats, a symbol of commitment to the healthcare profession.

Due to higher summer temperatures, students on the Southern Utah campus had to wait until October for their White Coat Ceremony. However, it was worth it as students and their loved ones convened at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts, an impressive outdoor amphitheater where, like their Colorado counterparts, they received their white coats and recited the Class Oath. Prior to the ceremony, Orientation Week for Class of 2025 included a hike to Red Mountain, wellness sessions, and a volunteer day at a local branch of the Utah Food Bank.

On both campuses, RVUCOM Class of 2024 – who experienced an entirely virtual Orientation Week and celebration the year before – were also honored with their own in-person ceremonies.

This article was originally featured in RVU’s Vista View Newsletter. To view the full issue, visit: https://issuu.com/rvucom/docs/2021216_vista_view.

Colorado:

Southern Utah: