VUB medical students get ready for White Coat ceremony

For the students in the first master of medicine at VUB, Saturday 17 December will be a day to remember. During the traditional White Coat ceremony, they will receive their coveted doctor’s coat and UZ Brussel badge. The ceremony marks the transition from theoretical lessons to real medical practice in a hospital: an eagerly awaited and important step on their medical journey.

From the second semester, the students will spend most of their training in the hospital, in real medical practice. This step, which obviously brings with it a special responsibility, is traditionally celebrated at VUB with a White Coat ceremony in the presence of parents and partners.

Among students, expectations are high. Lauren Cools: "It’s a great day because it’s a milestone: the switch from pure theory to practice, everyone looks forward to it."

"The entire dorm is looking forward to it," adds Vincent Mingneau: "You can start working with patients in practice. You’re well prepared for it, but now you’re really going to apply that knowledge and I think that’s great."

Ana Potvlieghe is also focused on the second semester: "We’re ready for it, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing patients."

Medical students at VUB start their clinical internships earlier than their colleagues. By offering more varied internships, VUB wants to give all its students the chance to discover where their interests lie and how they can make the most of their skills.

This year, the White Coat ceremony takes place in a special and symbolic location: the shell of the new medical-technical block of the UZ Brussel. These students in training will be the first to work in this high-tech building in a few years.

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