“White Coat Ceremony for Odonto-Stomatology Students: A Sacred Milestone in the Journey to Becoming a Dentis

The White Coat Ceremony for Odonto-Stomatology students is not only a noble traditional ritual for health science students but also a significant milestone, marking the moment they begin to embrace the core values of the medical profession – knowledge, medical ethics, and the responsibility to serve the community.

Nguyen Tat Thanh University recently solemnly hosted the “White Coat Ceremony” for Odonto-Stomatology students from the 2024 and 2025 classes. This marks the first-ever White Coat Ceremony for Odonto-Stomatology students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, signifying a new step of development for a key discipline into which the University has passionately poured its heart and investment, following a high-quality and integration-oriented approach.

The White Coat of Responsibility and Compassion

The White Coat Ceremony is a solemn and proud ritual. Delivering the opening remarks, People’s Physician, Dr., Jurist Ngo Dong Khanh – Member of the University Board, Senior Advisor to the Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology, and Chairman of the Faculty’s Science and Training Council, shared his special emotions upon witnessing the first generation of Odonto-Stomatology students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University don the white coat—a sacred symbol of healthcare practitioners.

He emphasized that the white coat is not merely a professional uniform but also a symbol of knowledge, dedication, and compassion. Above all, it serves as a daily reminder that they bear the responsibility for human health, trust, and happiness. To preserve that symbolic value, he urged students to study with integrity, work with a sense of responsibility, and treat everyone with kindness. “And always remember that behind every medical record is a human being; behind every patient’s smile is the happiness of a family,” he added.

“The white coat does not make us doctors. It is our knowledge, heart, and character that define the value of that coat,” Dr. Khanh shared with the Odonto-Stomatology students.

People’s Physician, Dr., Jurist Ngo Dong Khanh, Member of the University Board and Senior Advisor to the Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology, delivers the opening remarks at the White Coat Ceremony.

The University’s Commitment to Accompanying the Development of the Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Nguyen Mai Lan – Chairwoman of the University Board of Nguyen Tat Thanh University – affirmed that Odonto-Stomatology is one of the key disciplines in the University’s development strategy.

The University always pledges strong investments in facilities, equipment, and modern training environments to ensure students learn under the best possible conditions. Alongside existing campuses, two new buildings are currently under construction, promising to provide additional practical and treatment centers to support clinical training for health science students in the near future.

Sending a heartfelt message to the students, she expressed her hope that each individual would constantly maintain a spirit of learning, compassion, integrity, and pride in being an Odonto-Stomatology student at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, step by step moving closer to their mission of caring for the health of patients and the community.

Dr. Nguyen Mai Lan – Chairwoman of the University Board, shares the University’s strategic direction and readiness to accompany the Faculty in training Odonto-Stomatology Doctors.

Inspiring Insights and Valuable Guidance from an Educator, Scientist, and International Expert

The event was honored to receive profound insights and valuable guidance from Prof. Dr. Ngo Chi Hien (Australia) – a leader, educator, scientist, and international Odonto-Stomatology expert with extensive years of experience in leadership, teaching, research, and clinical practice across six dental schools spanning three continents.

In his address, Professor Hien reminded everyone that the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath remains the core ethical value of the healthcare profession. While the language of the oath may belong to a different era, its message endures. The oath reminds us that caring for patients is a privilege; knowledge must always be guided by conscience, and the primary duty of a physician is to do good, do no harm, and respect the dignity of every individual. This is also the noble tradition that the students begin to embrace today.

The Professor advised the students that a physician’s duty is not merely about completing a job, nor does it only begin upon graduation; rather, it is forged starting today through their attitude toward learning, resilience in overcoming difficulties, and responsibility toward the community. Therefore, as they receive their white coats today, they also embrace an important truth:

“Success in the healthcare field is not measured solely by personal achievements. It is also measured by what you give back to the community.”

Prof. Dr. Ngo Chi Hien also extended his congratulations to the students on this special occasion, while offering them a heartfelt message: “Wear the white coat with gratitude and honor, study with a clear purpose, serve with humility, and practice with wisdom, courage, and compassion.”

Prof. Dr. Ngo Chi Hien shares insights and offers guidance to Odonto-Stomatology students at the White Coat Ceremony.

The Parent and Teacher Gratitude Ritual – One of the Most Beautiful Moments of the White Coat Ceremony

Before entering the sacred moment of donning the white coat, one ritual that brought a profound wave of emotion over the entire hall was the Parent and Teacher Gratitude Ritual.

On the journey of growth for every Odonto-Stomatology student, the greatest credit goes to their parents and guardians – those who have silently sacrificed, loved, and supported them with absolute faith, resilience, and unconditional love. The students expressed their deepest gratitude to their parents and families. This was followed by the students’ appreciation for their teachers – those who have dedicated themselves to imparting knowledge, honing skills, nurturing medical ethics, and igniting a passion for the profession within them, helping them stride confidently on the path to becoming physicians.

Amidst the deep emotion of parents, the proud gaze of teachers, and the pure happiness of students, the Parent and Teacher Gratitude Ritual became one of the most beautiful moments of the White Coat Ceremony. It served as a powerful reminder to every student that behind their success lies the boundless love of their families, alongside the unwavering dedication, guidance, support, and companionship of their teachers on the journey to becoming an Odonto-Stomatology Doctor.

Odonto-Stomatology students express gratitude to their parents and teachers.

A Sacred Moment: The White Coat Donning Ritual

The highlight of the program was the White Coat Donning Ritual for Odonto-Stomatology students from the 2024 and 2025 classes. Witnessed by university leaders, faculty members, parents, and guests, each student was individually helped into their white coat by the Odonto-Stomatology faculty doctors—a sacred symbol of knowledge, medical ethics, and the responsibility to serve the community.

The proud gazes and emotional smiles of parents and teachers created deeply meaningful moments. This was not only a moment of joy for the students themselves but also the culmination of a journey defined by companionship, love, and high expectations from both their families and the University.

Faculty members of the Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology pose for a photo with the Chairwoman of the University Board and the President prior to the White Coat Donning Ritual.

Faculty members of the Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology begin the White Coat Donning Ritual for the students.

Faculty members present white coats to Odonto-Stomatology students from the 2024 classes (the University’s first Odonto-Stomatology course) and some students from the 2025 classes.

Faculty members present white coats to Odonto-Stomatology students from the 2025 Classes.

The Odonto-Stomatology student representative shares reflections and pledges at the White Coat Ceremony.

From Today’s Milestone: Embarking on a Journey of Knowledge, Medical Ethics, and Service

Representing the 2024 and 2025 cohorts, student Chau Nguyen Quynh Phuong emotionally shared her thoughts on this special day. Her sincere words expressed deep pride and gratitude toward family and teachers, while affirming a steadfast determination to study and train diligently to be worthy of the newly bestowed white coat.

Although the White Coat Ceremony for the 2024 and 2025 cohorts has drawn to a close, it opens up a brand-new chapter for every Odonto-Stomatology student at Nguyen Tat Thanh University—a journey of knowledge, medical ethics, and service. From this day forward, they are not merely studying to become Odonto-Stomatology Doctors, but are also beginning to cultivate the medical ethics, sense of responsibility, and compassion required of a physician.

It is hoped that with the unwavering support of their families, the devotion of the faculty, and the modern training environment at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, these students will step by step mature into highly skilled, ethically sound, and dedicated Odonto-Stomatology Doctors, contributing to community healthcare and serving society.

Odonto-Stomatology students from the 2025 cohort of Nguyen Tat Thanh University and faculty members at the White Coat Ceremony.

People’s Physician, Dr., Jurist Ngo Dong Khanh – Member of the University Board, Senior Advisor to the Faculty

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong – Dean of the Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology, Nguyen Tat Thanh University.