As hard as it is to believe, yesterday I received my white coat.  It was a very special day for me, and I was so, so blessed to have my family there to support me.  It’s hard to put into words what I was feeling throughout the whole day.  I was very nervous, mostly because there were 700 people there to watch.  As we walked into the auditorium, it was an amazing experience to see all of the faculty and staff dressed in their white coats.  As they watched us process in, I noticed that none of them were smiling.  They all had very serious, solemn faces on.  As strange as it sounds, this really affected me.  I felt as if they were really looking at us as potential professionals whom they were welcoming into their community.  As I watched each of my classmates walk across the stage and put their white coat on for the first time, I couldn’t help but think about how much work it has taken each of us just to get here, and how much work is left ahead.  I only teared up once, when the president of the second year class talked about how much each of us owed to the people who have supported us and helped us get to this point.  I have been truly, truly blessed to have family and friends who have supported me through these past few years, and really, throughout my whole life.  Many students weren’t fortunate enough to have their family there with them, and I am really humbled at the crowd that came to support me.  I was even lucky enough to have my brother, sister-in-law, and niece watching online from Slovakia.  I am honored to have such love in my life.  I definitely wouldn’t be here without my family, especially my parents and my wonderful husband.  After I received my white coat, I didn’t really feel different or anything, but I definitely felt the weight of that moment and the change that took place.  I am now, officially, a med student.  (Pictures to come…)