The Faculty of Medicine at the Arab American University organized the White Coat Ceremony to mark the transition of the first group of the Faculty of Medicine from the stage of learning basic medical sciences to training in hospitals.
This celebration comes as part of the careful and deliberate steps taken by the faculty towards creating a promising and distinguished generation of Palestinian doctors.
The ceremony was attended by the University’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Muayad Abusaa, the University’s Vice President for Ramallah Campus, Professor Dr. Mohammad Asia, the University’s Vice President for Administrative and Financial Affairs, Dr. Bara Asfour, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Malek Zaben, the Director of the Jenin Health Directorate, Dr. Wisam Sbaihat, the Director of the Jenin Governmental Hospital, Dr. Wisam Baker, the director of Tubas Governmental Hospital, Dr. Mohammad Samara, representatives of the hospitals in the northern governorates and a group of doctors, in addition to many deans, academic and administrative staff members, and medical students.
In the welcome speech on behalf of the University President, Professor Dr. Ali Zedan Abu Zuhri, delivered by the vice president for Academic Affairs, Dr. Muayad Abusaa, he welcomed the attendees and stressed the importance of this stage, emphasizing the university’s commitment to providing all support to the Faculty and students towards excellence.
In turn, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Malik Zaben, named this class “Hope and Challenge,” stressing the importance of this important stage, for their achievement of this well-deserved achievement in moving from the basic stage to the clinical stage. He congratulated the students on their success in passing this stage. Also, he thanked the faculty members and hospital doctors praising their joining the Faculty family and their support. He also thanked the academic and administrative staffs for their efforts with the students to reach this distinctive stage on their path to becoming distinguished doctors.
He stressed the University’s keenness to provide distinctive teaching, and to train and teach students using advanced curricula. He pointed out that the Faculty of Medicine at the Arab American University was the first Palestinian medical faculty to adopt the use of teaching in integrated courses, and virtual reality teaching techniques in addition to equipping simulation and anatomy laboratories with advanced technologies adding that the university in general and the Faculty in particular are keen to communicate students and send them to prestigious universities abroad, such as the universities of Oxford and Dundee. Dr. Zaben stressed that the ultimate goal is for the graduate of medicine at the Arab American University to be a distinguished doctor.
Dr. Zaben concluded his speech by saying, “You are now moving to the clinical stage in hospitals, and you are entrusted with the health of patients, their secrets, and their privacies, and I am very confident that you will reap the fruits of your effort and diligence in becoming distinguished doctors. We will meet you on the day we celebrate your graduation as the first distinguished group of doctors to graduate from the Arab American University at the successful completion of the clinical phase.”
For his part, Dr. Ramez Zaid said in his speech on behalf of the Faculty members, “Today I stand before you to celebrate young men who were embraced by the Faculty of Medicine three years ago, to honor their distinguished achievements that they achieved during their medical journey. The white coat ceremony represents an important milestone in your professional path, and our tribute to them to their dedication and commitment to this field.”
He explained that graduating the first group to the clinical stage is not the end of the academic stage, but rather the beginning of a professional career full of challenges. All your efforts during your academic years have today become a key for you to the world of medicine and health care, pointing out that the white coat symbolizes the medical profession, humanity and peace, so it is a must for students to embody the characteristics of this color and the humanity of this coat.
In the student speech delivered by student Malek Tabji, he pointed out that the effort was not in vain, and that wearing the white coat means that the students had reached an important stage. He thanked the Arab American University for the support it provided. Also, he thanked the Faculty of Medicine’s administration and faculty members for their efforts to reach this stage.
It is noteworthy that the Faculty of Medicine at the Arab American University is the first Palestinian faculty to teach medicine through integrated courses in a qualitative and modern manner. Moreover, it is the first Faculty to obtain membership in the International Foundation for Medical Education (AMEE) and is distinguished by establishing close international relations with medical faculties in prestigious universities such as the University of Oxford and the University of Dundee in Britain. In the summer of 2026, the first group of students will graduate from the Faculty of Medicine.
