A major mile marker: Class of 2027 earns white coats
By Troy Johnson
Before enrolling at Auburn to pursue her DVM, Abigail Gaston had heard of veterinary school being compared to a marathon. After three years of rigorous coursework, she has decided a new description is in order.
“Now, I think it’s more like one of those 100-mile cross country races that you’ve got to be absolutely insane to sign up for,” joked Gaston, the Class of 2027 president from Guntersville, Ala. “But the great news is that we’re not running this race alone.”
On Saturday, Feb. 28, Gaston and 130 other Auburn DVM students from 22 states celebrated a major milestone on their educational and professional journeys. Friends and family members packed the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University to celebrate their success during the College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual White Coat Ceremony.
As students crossed the stage and donned their white coats, it marked an inflection point in their DVM program experience. The rite of passage symbolizes their collective shift from classroom learning to application of their knowledge in clinical settings.
Auburn Vet Med Dean Calvin Johnson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Melinda Camus, Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Ebony Gilbreath, Alabama Veterinary Medical Association (ALVMA) President Jim Lovell and Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association (KVMA) Vice President Lauren Mirus each addressed the students and their guests.
“[The white coat] represents your commitment to excellence, your compassion for animals and the people who love and depend on them, and your dedication to the ethical standards of our profession,” Johnson said. “Every time you put it on, stand with confidence, listen with intention and serve with purpose – because it also reflects the deep trust that society places in you.”
For Lovell, standing at the podium and celebrating the successes of Auburn’s students offered a full-circle moment.
“Twenty-two years ago here at Auburn, I started my clinical rotation,” he said. “So I know the excitement, I know the anticipation and maybe a little bit of fear as well.”
Auburn’s Class of 2027 didn’t have much time to savor the moment as they began their clinical immersion on March 2. Mirus likened the experience of clinical rotations to a roller coaster ride.
“There will be sharp turns that you don’t see coming,” Mirus said. “Some days will be exhilarating, but others will humble you. You’ll make mistakes, you will miss things, and you will not know how to answer a question during rounds. And you will go home wondering what you could have done differently.
“That’s exactly how you become a veterinarian. Growth does not happen in comfort. Confidence is built in the moments that you feel stretched and challenged. Clinics will teach you medicine, but it will also teach you that sometimes the greatest act of care is not just curing but comforting.”
Beyond caring for large and small animals, members of the Class of 2027 will be there for one another through the next step of their DVM experience. As Gaston mentioned, they’re not running the exhausting and often exhilarating cross country race alone.
“I encourage each of you – and myself – to look for ways to help one another as we work toward graduation and to remind ourselves to be thankful each day for the opportunity to do what we love,” Gaston told her classmates from the podium.