The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences Physician Assistant Class of 2026 celebrated a major milestone on May 16 as students donned their long white coats and formally transitioned from students to clinicians during the annual Long White Coat Celebration at Lisner Auditorium.
The ceremony marked the next step in the graduates’ health care careers and highlighted their academic achievements, leadership, service, professionalism, and commitment to patient care. Faculty members, family, friends, and classmates gathered to recognize the class as they prepared to enter the clinical phase of their training and assume greater responsibility in patient care settings.
Brandon Beattie, MMSc, PA-C, program director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies and master of ceremonies, opened the event by reflecting on the symbolism of the occasion.
“Today's ceremony is a rite of passage, out with that old, short white coat that has undoubtedly seen better days, and in with a new long white coat, one that signifies your transition from student to clinician,” Beattie said.
Andrew W. Artenstein, MD, MBA, interim vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, echoed that message during his remarks. He described the ceremony as more than a change in attire.
“The day marks a transition, not only a change in wardrobe from short white coats to long, but also from student to clinician; from one who asks to one who provides the answers,” Artenstein said.
At the same time, he encouraged graduates to maintain the curiosity and humility that have guided them through their education.
“Please never stop asking. Always ask, always learn, stay humble. It will serve you well,” he said.
Artenstein also shared a personal connection to the physician assistant profession. His sister graduated from GW’s PA program in 1990, a connection that underscored the program’s long-standing legacy.
“We often speak about family here, the GW family, and my connection here is deeply personal also, as I told many of you when I came. My sister is a proud graduate of this PA program, class of 90. Still considers this one of the greatest points in her life having graduated from this program,” he said. “I see the same fire in this team today. When you put on this coat, you aren't just joining a profession, you're joining a lineage of excellence that spans generations.”
Student speaker Rodney Sadberry reflected on the transformation he witnessed among his classmates during the program. He described a gradual but profound shift in how students approached patient care.
“Somewhere along the way, something changed,” Sadberry said. “It was subtle, but it was real. We stopped thinking like students, and we started thinking like providers.”
He pointed to the growing confidence and responsibility that emerged through clinical training.
“The way you walk into a patient room now, not just to speak and talk, but to listen and ask important questions. The way that you start to notice things that you may have missed before. The way your decisions start to carry weight. Your voice starts to carry the weight. Because this isn't a hypothetical anymore, right? It's real.”
Sadberry emphasized that the ceremony represented more than the completion of coursework.
“The day,” he said, “isn’t about completing training. Stepping into responsibility, stepping into trust, stepping in to the privilege of being a part of someone's life in the possibly most serious times of their life.”
He concluded by encouraging classmates to recognize their growth throughout the program.
“I encourage you all to take a moment to reflect on how much you have grown as individuals over the past two years,” Sadberry said. “The most important lesson that I learned in this program lies not in any single lecture. Rather, you have all shown me that you are capable beyond any of our wildest imaginations.”
The ceremony also recognized students whose accomplishments distinguished them both in the classroom and in the community.
Ali Loudiyi and Kaylie DeCosmo received the Community Service Award for their selfless commitment to serving local communities, particularly underserved populations.
Luke Guonjian-Pettit and Sierra Acker, co-presidents of the Tolton Society, earned the Leadership Award for demonstrating exemplary leadership within the program and at local and national levels.
Lauren Haigney received the Academic Excellence Award in recognition of her outstanding academic achievements throughout both the didactic and clinical phases of training.
Shelby Steadman earned the Professionalism Award, which recognizes the graduate whose conduct and competence best embody the qualities of the physician assistant profession while representing the program in the community.
Matthew Matera received the 2026 Humanitarian Award for his consistent commitment to the well-being of others through compassionate peer support, community building, and generosity toward incoming students.
Keynote speaker Michael Johnson, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, challenged graduates to focus on lifelong growth rather than solely on clinical expertise. Drawing inspiration from Kobe Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” and lessons learned during his career in emergency medicine and with the Phoenix Fire Department, Johnson offered two guiding principles.
The first, “Work towards better,” emphasized continuous improvement through reflection, learning, self-care, and daily effort.
The second, “Prevent harm. Survive. Be nice,” served as the central framework of his address.
Johnson explained that former Phoenix Fire Department Chief Alan Brunacini developed the simple mission statement to define firefighters’ responsibilities and the expectations of the communities they served.
“The fire chief of the Phoenix Fire Department, Alan Brunecini, created a mission statement that boiled down the work of the firefighters and the expectation of the citizens that they served to this simple statement. Prevent harm. Survive. Be nice. And that was it,” Johnson said. “Those have been great words for me to live by in a very tangible philosophy.”
Johnson encouraged graduates to prevent harm by helping patients, reducing suffering, advocating for justice, and improving health care systems. He urged them to survive by protecting their own well-being, seeking support when needed, and avoiding burnout. Finally, he challenged them to treat everyone with kindness, including patients, families, nurses, support staff, and future students.
“When you have the privilege of looking back, know that you left things better than you found them,” Johnson said.
Tamara Ritsema, PhD, MPH, PA-C, concluded the ceremony by discussing the enduring significance of the white coat. While the garment symbolizes professional achievement, she reminded graduates that it should also serve as a daily reminder of humility and continuous learning.
“Let wearing your white coat every day remind you that you don't know everything yet,” Ritsema said. “Let it remind you that there's lots to learn, and that you need to be humble enough to learn it from not only your colleagues, other professionals with whom you work, but also from your patients.”
She also encouraged graduates to seek guidance when they encounter uncertainty.
“Be humble enough get help from others when you don't know something, especially at the beginning, and remember that your teachers are the best patients of all,” she said.
As members of the Class of 2026 exchanged their short white coats for long ones, speakers returned to a common theme: excellence requires both confidence and humility. The ceremony celebrated academic achievement and professional growth, but it also reminded future clinicians that learning never ends. With their new white coats, graduates carry forward a tradition of service, leadership, compassion, and lifelong dedication to patient care.
