Camilla Guerrero always knew she wanted to go into healthcare, but her options back home in Mexico were limited. After completing her undergraduate studies with a focus in pre-medicine at New York University, Guerrero fell in love with the freedom and collaborative opportunities offered to physician assistants. She applied — and was accepted to — Weill Cornell Medical College's physician assistant program. While her family had never heard of the profession when she applied to become one, they quickly saw the legitimacy and importance of the career path, too.
On March 9, she embarked on the next step of her professional life and attended Weill Cornell Medical College's White Coat Ceremony, where she and 30 of her classmates received their very own white coat as they were welcomed to the 26-month Master of Science in Health Sciences for Physician Assistants Program. Thrown right into orientation the morning of the ceremony, she and her peers were already buzzing with energy later that afternoon.
The class of 2017, which includes six men and 25 women who were chosen from more than 1,300 applicants, includes students of various backgrounds and experience. Among the student body, who hail from New England, the Midwest and Hawaii, among other locales, are physical therapist aids, certified nursing assistants and medical scribes, a job that Guerrero previously held at Mount Sinai Beth Israel."Having a white coat represents professionalism and gives you a sense of authority that people respond to," said Guerrero, 25. "Showing up with a white coat doesn't just mean you're showing up because you can. You actually belong."
Skylar Frisch, 21, is among the class of 2017. While Guerrero's family was initially unsure about her career choice, Frisch's were eager for her to join the fold, as there are generations of doctors in her family including her grandfather, cousins and mother, she said. Before coming to Weill Cornell, the Massachusetts native spent time with her uncle, who is a doctor, and his physician assistant. This experience, she says, taught her a lot about the independent and hands-on nature of the profession.
Physician assistant student Jonathan LoVoi receives his short white coat at the annual ceremony.
Frisch, who's interested in surgery, chose Weill Cornell because it's one of the only physician assistant programs in the country with a surgical focus. Like Frisch, incoming student Jonathan LoVoi, 25, chose the program because he can specialize in neurology and neurosurgery."My family was very encouraging and happy that I would be in the healthcare field, which they find so fulfilling," Frisch said. "Being a physician assistant is ideal because it'll allow me to help and heal people in an intellectually challenging environment, and still explore other interests outside of it."
For LoVoi, receiving his white coat represents stepping into a prominent, evolving role, and one for which he envisions having a bright future.
"This ceremony establishes that this is an important health profession and that we have a presence," said LoVoi, who's from Queens. "We're going to make an impact and we're going to make a difference."