The Franklin College Master of Science in Physician Assistant (MSPA) Studies Program hosted its White Coat Ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. The college’s cohort of 24 PA students from the class of 2023 received their white coats and recited a medical oath before family and friends inside Richardson Chapel on the Franklin College campus. Student Class President MacKenzie Coleman, PA-S, also addressed the guests.
The ceremony is the halfway mark of the 25-month, full-time program. It is a rite of passage welcoming students into healthcare practice by providing a white coat symbolizing professionalism and humanistic patient care. At Franklin College, it marks the transition from the didactic year to the clinical year and the beginning of clinical rotations.
The ceremony is the third for Franklin College. The program’s fourth cohort of PA students will begin their studies in January 2022.
Jasmina Cheeseman, PA-C, MLS, program director and assistant professor of physician assistant studies, provided the welcome and opening remarks for the ceremony. Franklin College President Kerry N. Prather also addressed the students.
During the ceremony, the students and faculty honored Johnson Memorial Health (JMH) physician Christopher Zietlow, Ph.D., with the Preceptor of the Year award. This award honors a preceptor who has demonstrated a commitment of excellence in the clinical education of PA students as a mentor and instructor. Dr. Zietlow is board-certified in internal medicine and is a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. and earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Cincinnati and his medical degree from the Ohio State University. Students referred to Dr. Zietlow as an exceptional provider and an incredible teacher. One student wrote: “Dr. Z was the best! It was so obvious that he truly cared about my role as a student and wanted me to learn as much as I could during my time at JMH. He wanted to make sure I had a well-rounded experience in many different areas.”
While most students are from Indiana, the program draws interest from across the country. This cohort included students from Oregon to Connecticut.
Southside students receiving their white coats included:
- Andrea Alarcon of Southport
- Alyssa Andreis of Indianapolis (46237)
- Austin Combs of Greenwood
- Darian Huff of Greenwood
- Danica Luc of Greenwood
- Emily Roberts of Greenwood