White Coat Day

It’s official: Penn Vet Class of 2027 has moved up from classrooms to clinics.

With friends and family cheering them on, nearly 130 third year students gathered at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Center on Saturday for one of the veterinary school’s most celebrated transition ceremonies – White Coat Day.

One by one, they walked across the stage of the Zellerbach Theatre to receive the white coat of a clinician, personalized with their names, signifying they had advanced in their training from book learning to treating animals, putting what they have been studying into practice.

“Today marks a significant milestone: the halfway point in a journey that continues to push us, teach us and change us,” said Brooke Aguilar, V’27 Class President.

Aguilar encouraged her classmates to find strength in the connections made in their last two years at Penn Vet.

“I urge you to remember that we will need each other throughout our careers – and that we’ve already made it this far together. Clinics will be a different ball game, but they will prepare us for the rest of our lives,’’ Aguilar said. “To quote Taylor Swift, which I always will, we have given our blood, sweat, and tears for this. But unlike the song, we are not on our own.”

Aquilar paused to let the class remember Natalie Kim, their V’27 classmate who died from complications from a malignant brain tumor in October 2023.

Carla Chieffo, V’86, recipient of the 2025 Penn Vet Alumni Award of Merit, whose many accomplishments include anti-hunger work in Africa, urged the students to think expansively about the future.

“Our profession has no limits on what you can do,” said Chieffo.

She told them that they could make a difference in their society and the world.

“We have the right set of credentials and the breadth of knowledge to be the best stewards of this earth for animals that cannot defend themselves.” Chieffo said. “We are their voice when there is cruelty, neglect or habitat loss.”

Dean Andrew Hoffman told the students that beyond the challenges of their next two years, a promising future awaits them.

“We have a lot of work to do. This could not be a better time to enter the clinics and train to be veterinarians,” Hoffman said. “There’s lots of jobs, lots of opportunities.”

Elizabeth Arbittier, V’01, Associate Professor in Equine Field Service and Associate Director of Academic and Community Affairs at the New Bolton Center, told the students to know their instructors really care, even when their manner isn’t effusive.

“Trust your educators and put in the time to be prepared for each of your rotations,” Arbittier said.

“We are deeply and personally invested in turning each and every one of you into an excellent veterinarian,” she said.

David Holt, Professor of Surgery, offered “a bit of professional and personal advice” to students as they embarked on the clinical part of their education, as well as the direct care aspect of their development as veterinarians.

“In the clinics, if you have a question about how to proceed with a case,” said Holt, “ask yourself a very simple question: ‘What would I do if it was my dog, or cat, or horse?’ And for life in general, be the person your dog thinks you are.”

Daelyn Stabler, a member of the class, told her fellow students that from now on, they’ll always have another white coat to turn to.

“Throughout the next two years, we have each other to lean on, to answer questions, and to help us study” said Stabler. “And once we graduate, we have the names, contacts, and shared memories of 130 other doctors that we can call to bounce ideas off of or to talk to when we’ve had rough day. The people sitting next to you will understand, I promise.”

View more photos of the ceremony on Penn Vet’s Flickr account.