The West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Studies program hosted a white coat ceremony for 25 students on Sunday, April 12, at the Okey Patteson Auditorium in the WVU Health Sciences Center in Morgantown.
Receiving their white coats marks the students’ transition from classroom instruction to the clinical phase of their education. Students will apply the foundational knowledge they have gained and begin working with patients.
During the ceremony, Jennifer Momen, MD, MPH, director of the Physician Assistant Studies program, addressed the students.
“For physician assistants, the white coat represents more than a piece of clinical attire. It symbolizes trust earned, responsibility accepted and a commitment to collaborative, patient‑centered care,” Momen said. “It reflects your role as compassionate clinicians, patient advocates and essential members of the healthcare team. As you prepare to enter your clinical rotations, I invite you to pause for a moment and reflect on what the white coat means to you. Why you chose this profession, the patients you hope to serve and the values you aspire to carry with you into every clinical encounter."
Students complete the last 12 months of the PA Studies program in a series of clinical rotations in the core medical specialties: surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, family medicine, internal medicine, behavioral medicine, cardiology, and rural primary care. They also have the opportunity to choose two elective rotations based on their individual interests.
Jeremiah Hayanga, MD, MPH, FACS, FRCS, FCCP, FCCM, medical director of the Physician Assistant Studies program and professor of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, served as the keynote speaker. In his address, Dr. Hayanga spoke to students about how they will need to blaze their own trail as they enter the clinical realm and reminded them that “most trails are blazed in quiet moments, not dramatic ones. They are carved out in silence, in the decision to stay an extra five minutes. In the choice to advocate when it would be easier to just move on. In the willingness to return to communities that others overlook.”
MEET THE STUDENTS
Abigail Nickerson from Wellsburg, West Virginia, will begin her clinical rotations in emergency medicine at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, West Virginia. She will then move to rotations in surgery, rural medicine, pediatrics, IM hospitalist, IM specialty, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, CVICU, family medicine, behavioral medicine and women’s health. She is looking forward to learning in real-world settings and being exposed to various specialties so she can discover which area she would like to pursue. Nickerson earned both a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and a master’s degree in Business Administration from WVU.
“The most rewarding part of the PA Studies program so far has been the hands-on experiences,” she said. “I’ve always been someone who learns best by doing, and getting the opportunity to work in the human anatomy cadaver lab, practice procedures, and develop physical exam skills has made everything feel more real. The STEPS Lab at WVU has been an amazing resource, and I feel very lucky to train in that environment.
“More than anything, this program has taught me how to think like a clinician. I’ve learned the importance of slowing down, being thorough and truly listening to patients. A strong physical exam and meaningful rapport can sometimes reveal more than any test. Those lessons have stuck with me and will continue to shape the kind of provider I become.”
Carter Bowers from Swanton, Maryland, will begin his clinical rotations in pediatrics at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s and the General Pediatrics Clinic at the WVU Medicine Waynesburg Outpatient Center. He will then rotate through core specialties at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital and WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital, followed by an elective rotation in cardiac surgery at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. He is looking forward to applying all that he has learned during his didactic year to a clinical setting. Bowers earned his bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from Frostburg State University.
“I have been passionate about medicine for as long as I can remember, and receiving my white coat represents the much-anticipated transition from academic student to student clinician,” he said. “The white coat marks a new and exciting chapter in my academic journey.
“I have been passionate about medicine for as long as I can remember. The physician assistant route appealed to me not only for its incredible flexibility but for the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on patients and communities much earlier in my career.”
Learn more about the Physician Assistant Studies program at medicine.wvu.edu/physician-assistant-studies/.
To explore pathways to this and other degree programs, visit medicine.wvu.edu/students/pre-health/.