13 ottobre 2026
Condividi su:
“I swear to fulfil, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow (…) I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug”.
Moved, proud and full of hope for the future: this is how the students appeared – and felt – at the start of their fourth year on the Medicine and Surgery degree programme, bringing the White Coat ceremony to a close in unison with the recitation of the Hippocratic Oath on 12 October in the Auditorium of the Rome campus of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
What is now no longer merely a rite of passage from the three-year basic medical programme to the three-year clinical programme, marking entry into the wards of the Policlinico Gemelli, but a genuine and cherished tradition of the university community at the Rome Campus, began with welcoming remarks from Professor Maria Antonietta Gambacorta, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at Università Cattolica, who encouraged the students at this crucial juncture in their academic journey. Dr Daniele Piacentini, General Manager of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS welcomed them into hospital life and Father Alessandro Mantini, Lecturer in Theology and Pastoral Assistant at the Rome campus offered them words of spiritual and communal welcome.
An article by
The Ceremony was introduced by Professor Giovanni Gambassi, President of the degree programme in Medicine and Surgery: “We live in a moment of profound change because science and medicine are being fundamentally redefined, yet, the white coat that students are wearing today is a strong, visual and iconic reminder that while they may now be able to make diagnoses and suggest therapies, no machine will ever truly be capable of the level of compassion and understanding that we will continue to pretend for us all as patients and human beings.”
“From now – he concluded - for the students is no longer just about grades, it is about performing for a greater purpose. I have no doubts that our students are ready to begin this adventure and make a difference in the lives of patients by delivering the very best care with empathy, integrity, and professionalism.”
Following the Coating ceremony, in an auditorium ‘dressed in white’, Professor Martin Bergö, Vice Rector and member of the Nobel Committee at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, delivered his Keynote Address to the future doctors.
«You will begin this exciting new phase of your education at an extraordinary time, when science and medicine are advancing at an unprecedented pace, while trust in science and knowledge is increasingly challenged by misinformation – Professor Martin Bergö began by saying -. Your task will be to embrace this progress without losing sight of what lies at the heart of medicine: scientific integrity, compassion, and the trust between a patient and a doctor. »
That morning, Professor Bergö had met with the student, medical and hospital communities in the Aula Brasca at the Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli for a lecture-cum-discussion entitled “The Karolinska Institutet ecosystem: a Nobel prize environment for research and clinical activities”, introduced by Johan Berglund, Deputy Ambassador at the Swedish Embassy in Italy.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The formal conclusion of the White Coat Ceremony was entrusted to Dr Luca Capriati, an Alumnus of the Class of 2024, who guided the solemn recitation of the Oath: “I will remember that I neither treat a fever chart nor a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person’s family and economic stability. (…) If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help”.
Responsibility, service, trust, professionalism: these milestones will guide the new path of future young doctors. With this idealistic message, and a fresh perspective on reality, Martin Bergö’s address drew to a close: « I want you to also reflect on the beauty of science itself, and on the sense of wonder that comes from understanding more and more about the world and ourselves.».
The joy of healing, the fragility of existence, life as a commitment, science and knowledge in the service of humanity: from this day onwards, a new generation of young doctors is emerging, following in the footsteps and heeding the courses of their lecturers and mentors on a daily basis, and learning that whilst it is not always possible to cure a person, it is always possible to care for everyone.
Because, even though they are not doctors yet, they are already starting to see the world through different eyes.
