White Coat Ceremony

Dear Class of 2028,

Congratulations on your acceptance into the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University! In celebration of your entry to professional studies, the college will host the 2024 White Coat Ceremony, organized by the members of the Class of 2027. The White Coat Ceremony is the pinnacle event of the required Fall Orientation. Your parents, spouse or partner, family and friends are cordially invited to attend this ceremony welcoming you to the professional program.

The ceremony will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024, at 6 p.m. in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium in the Iowa State Center complex. A reception for students, faculty and guest coaters, and families will be held immediately afterwards.

At this ceremony you will be presented with a new white coat by a graduate DVM to symbolize the beginning of your journey to becoming a veterinarian. You are encouraged to invite a veterinarian of your choice to take part in this ceremony and present your coat to you. Eligible coaters may have graduated from any college of veterinary medicine and can include employers, family members, or someone who has served as a reference or a role model. If you prefer, you may also opt to have a faculty member from Iowa State assigned to present your coat. 

Please complete and return the response request form located on the Class of 2028 website by July 5, 2024, with an estimated number of guests attending and the name and contact information for your guest DVM coater. If you do not list a guest coater, a CVM faculty member or a participating state Veterinary Medical Association veterinarian will be assigned as your coater. We also ask that you forward the White Coat Ceremony Information and FAQs (located at the bottom of this page) to any guests you plan to invite. 

Again, congratulations on your admission into the College of Veterinary Medicine professional curriculum at Iowa State University. Feel free to contact Dr. Monica Howard with any questions (mohoward@iastate.edu or 515-294-0391) regarding this event. 


We look forward to your participation in this important event!
Dr. Monica Howard and the White Coat Ceremony Committee

Event Live Stream

White Coat Ceremony Information

White Coat Ceremony FAQs

White Coat Ceremony RSVP