Class of 2028 receives white coats, Gold Humanism Honor Society inducts new members
Posted on June 25, 2026 by Lindsay Hughes
Seventy-eight third-year medical students at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine marked their transition into clinical training during White Coat Ceremony, held June 24 at the Mitchell Center.
Students recite the Medical Student Oath.
The students recited the Medical Student Oath, reaffirming their commitment to the humanistic principles of medicine, including compassion, sensitivity, integrity and respect for others.
The event also celebrated the induction of new members into the USA chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, which recognizes those who exemplify compassionate, patient-centered care. Faculty inductees Hamayun Imran, M.D., and Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., encouraged students to carry empathy, resilience and service into the next phase of their medical education.
Imran, a professor of pediatrics and pediatric hematologist/oncologist at USA Health, reflected on difficult conversations with families facing life-changing diagnoses.
“I cannot count how many times in my career I have been asked by a child’s family, ‘What if this were your child? Would you still choose the same chemotherapy treatment?’” Imran said. “That question cuts to the core, and only a grounding in empathy can guide you through it.”
Acknowledging the frustrations and obstacles physicians encounter, Imran emphasized the importance of remaining focused on what best serves patients. “You remain the patient’s advocate,” he said. “That is your North Star.”
He reminded students that humanism is reflected in everyday actions and relationships with patients and colleagues.
“We are not here because we are perfect,” Imran said. “We are here because we keep trying. We keep listening. We keep respecting each other. We keep enduring. And because we care.”
Echoing the themes of resilience and purpose, Williams, an associate professor of surgery and a trauma and burn surgeon at USA Health, encouraged students to embrace the opportunities and challenges of their clinical years while remaining grounded in humanity.
She reminded students that “what is artificial can never be real.” While technology can enhance patient care, she said, it cannot replace the empathy and human connection physicians provide.
“Only you can sit with a family who just lost their 12-year-old son to a flying bullet,” Williams said. “Only you can hold the hand of a young woman diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and cry with her because you, too, know loss. You, too, can feel. You, too, can empathize.”
Williams also challenged students to invest in future generations of physicians and leaders.
“If you climb, send the elevator back down,” she said. “If you learn, teach. If you succeed, mentor. If you are blessed, bless others. Because the true measure of a physician is not how high they rise. It is how many people rise because they were here.”
Class President Anne Elizabeth Crowell
Representing the Class of 2028, class president Anne Elizabeth Crowell reflected on the qualities that have defined her classmates throughout their first two years of medical school.
“If I had to pick one word to describe what I have seen from this class over the past two years, the word would be passion,” Crowell said. “Passion for medicine, passion for advocacy, passion for supporting one another, and compassion for patients and their families.”
Crowell said she has witnessed classmates devote countless hours to studying, research, service and leadership opportunities while remaining committed to their future patients. She expressed confidence that the compassion they have demonstrated throughout their training will become one of their greatest strengths as they begin caring for patients.
“It's because the hearts on our white sleeves will make us exceptional physicians,” Crowell said. “Patients can and will trust us in their darkest hour and most vulnerable moments.”
Congratulating her classmates, Crowell expressed confidence that the qualities that brought them to this milestone will continue to guide them through the challenges ahead.
“May we never lose the passion that brought us here today,” she said, “and may we carry it with us into every patient room and wear it proudly on our white sleeves.”
White Coat Ceremony is sponsored in part by the USA Medical Alumni Association.
View all photos from the ceremony on Flickr.
Gold Humanism Honor Society Inductees
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award: Charles “Caleb” Butts, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery
Faculty
Hamayun Imran, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics
Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery
Residents
Aaron Chinners, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine
Emily Dunn Stringfellow, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine
Robert Ross, M.D., Department of Surgery
Matthew Coleman Watterson, M.D., Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
The inductees pin one another with Gold Humanism Honor Society pins.
Class of 2027 Medical Students
Paras Ahuja
Nia Booth
Kamryn Carroll
Jade Crabtree
Danielle Flores
Phoebe Garcia
Linhan Jasmine Ha
Skyler Hamilton
Keegan Musaalo
Aaron Nipper
Mariam Omar
Isha Patel