A white coat ceremony was held for fourth-year students of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences. Families also did not leave the students, who experienced the enthusiasm and excitement of wearing white coats, alone on this happy day.
The ceremony, organized under the leadership of Dr. Didem Şahin Ceylan, Head of the Audiology Department, was held at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Health Campus, Ibn'i Sina Auditorium. In the event, which attracted great interest from academics and families, parents who saw their children in white coats experienced emotional moments. The ceremony began with a moment of silence and the recitation of the National Anthem, followed by the screening of the Üsküdar Üniversitesi corporate film and then opening speeches.
Speaking on behalf of all students, Mervenur Üstün said: “We are excited and happy to wear white coats, which carry the responsibility of touching human lives. We extend our thanks to our families who did not withhold their material and moral support during our four-year education process, and on behalf of all my friends, I express my endless gratitude to our department lecturers who devoted their time to us without limits and left their fingerprints on all our lives.” She then handed the floor to Dr. Didem Şahin Ceylan, Head of the Audiology Department.
Dr. Didem Şahin Ceylan: “I aimed to teach by having fun.”
Speaking about the place of the white coat in the field of health, Dr. Didem Şahin Ceylan said, “We had a lot of enjoyable times over four years. I aimed to teach by having fun. The work and activities we carried out are very valuable to me. Thank you for always making us feel the sincerity in your eyes. We participated in the TRT Future Communicators Competition for the first time from a health department in Turkey and won second prize with our project called ‘Don't Ignore It’.”
Şahin expressed the importance of the project with these words: “It's a project where we processed everything ourselves. The costumes, stage decor, and many more. We got our fabrics and started working. You will always be special to me.”
Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin: “Wearing a white coat is one of the first steps to touching humanity.”
Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin, stated that the academic staff within the Faculty of Health is young and dynamic; “You see a very large, dynamic team within our university. Each of them is under 30 years old. They have added dynamism to our department. Our lecturer Didem Şahin Ceylan has shown that serious education is being provided. Learning by having fun is the highest quality form of learning. We see the best examples of this from the young team in front of us. They have not only taught lessons but also taught how to be good people, and how to be respectful to themselves and their families. They have been able to be role models for their students.”
Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin underlined that wearing a white coat is one of the first steps to touching humanity and continued his speech with these words: “The pleasure of saying ‘I am a healthcare professional’ is different, but it brings great responsibilities. I believe that all our students will do their part in this regard and will show the necessary effort for this profession to bring humanity to very good places.”
Prof. Dr. Hikmet Koçak: “If that profession doesn't enter your dreams, it means you don't love it at all.”
Koçak, emphasizing the great importance they attach to the teacher-student relationship, said: “Just getting a diploma is not enough. You will make decisions based on your interests and the education you receive here today. Make the most of these days. Think about what you will add on top of it and chase your dreams. As a heart surgeon, I ask my students how many surgeries they performed in their dreams. If this profession doesn't enter your dreams, it means you don't love this profession at all. The thought of a person talking to an audiologist wearing a white coat is ‘I trust you, I believe you are interested and skilled’. Interest and science do not end with graduation. We will research and work until we die.”
In the continuation of the ceremony, the white coats were donned for the future Audiologists eagerly awaiting to wear them by Prof. Dr. Hikmet Koçak, Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin, Dr. Didem Şahin Ceylan, Lecturer Gökçe Gültekin, Lecturer Yeter Saçlı, Lecturer Elifnur Taşdemir, and Lecturer Ayşegül Elşarkavi.
The White Coat Ceremony concluded with a group commemorative photo.
