KIU Western Campus – The Association of Medical Students of Kampala International University (AMSKIU)  celebrated their first-ever white coat ceremony, an initiation ritual that inducts new entrants into medical school.  The students are required to show up donning white clinical coats, and take the Hippocratic Oath.

The ceremony was held in the conference hall of KIU Teaching Hospital on Monday 9th March and was graced by the Chairperson of the Education Service Commission, Rev. Dr Sam Luboga, the Executive Director, KIU Teaching Hospital, Prof. Robinson Ssebuufu and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, KIU Western Campus, Prof. Patrick Kyamanywa.

The new medical students turned up in droves to undergo the highly billed initiation ceremony and after a very insightful and entertaining presentation from Dr Luboga, the students finally donned their treasured coats and took the Hippocratic Oath.

Tom Tumwesigye, a medical school entrant, said it was a proud moment for him to finally don the white coat. 

“I really feel good and happy to finally put on the white coat because it has always been my dream. I admired the doctors whenever I saw them in their clinical coats,” Tumwesigye said. 

Guest of honour, Rev. Dr. Sam Luboga, who also taught both Prof. Ssebuufu and Prof. Kyamanywa hailed the University’s role in providing quality education to its students and described invitations to KIU as being “addictive.”

“I have been invited here several times and I have found out that coming to KIU whenever invited is addictive," Dr Luboga said, attracting loud applause.

The DVC, Prof. Kyamanywa, challenged the students to uphold the values expected of someone putting on the white coat and not to leave any blemish on its integrity.

“Putting on a white court is a big honour. Your predecessors did not have that chance (to have a white coat ceremony), and they will be looking at you keenly to see whether you uphold its integrity," Prof. Kyamanywa said.

Prof. Ssebuufu who doubles as the Dean Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry said the purpose of the ceremony was to instil in students "professionalism, integrity and ethics of the medical profession." Further, he advised them to implement what they learned because these are important things which can not be taught on the academic syllabus.