Friends and Colleagues,

It is that time of year again when we welcome the newest members to our profession. The new first-year medical students, our fourth cohort, began their orientation on Monday July 13th. Part of our welcome is the White Coat Ceremony that has become a rite of passage for first year students. The ceremony will welcome the Class of 2024, largely in front of friends and family, to the healthcare practice, providing a powerful humanistic emphasis on compassion in combination with scientific excellence. The ceremony, where each student will receive their first white medical coat, serves to emphasize that the donning of the coat does not imply privilege, but rather the responsibility to put patients before self. While COVID-19 may change how the White Coat Ceremony is held in September, the ceremony and its meaning will go forward. Additionally, our White Coat Campaign 2020 will kick off as a fundraiser not only for white coats, but for important scholarships. Readers of this newsletter will find out during the week of July 20 by letter or email how they can become donors. To learn more today about this opportunity to make a difference, please call Annette Carter, senior director of development at 702-895-0211 or email her at annette.carter@unlv.edu .