[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_post_title _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” featured_image=”off” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”11487″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) College of Medicine (COM) celebrated its 10th White Coat Ceremony at the Philippine International Church on August 2, 2026. Under the theme \u201cClothed in Purpose, Called to Heal,\u201d inspired by Colossians 3:12, the event marked the spiritual and professional consecration of Batch 2030 with 89 students.<\/span><\/p>\n A Sacred Calling Beyond\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Dr. Arceli Rosario, University president, opened the ceremony by defining the white coat not merely as a uniform, but as a symbol of a \u201csacred calling\u201d. She emphasized that the white fabric represents the \u201cpurity of intentions\u201d required to heal, urging students to move beyond being just smart and competent to becoming \u201cfive-star plus\u201d physicians. This \u201cplus\u201d factor, a cornerstone of the AUP medical curriculum, refers to the identity of a physician missionary, one who serves as an assistant to the Master Physician, Jesus Christ, to provide healing for the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of patients.<\/span><\/p>\n Symbols of Faith and Humility<\/b><\/p>\n Dr. Doris Mendoza, keynote speaker and founding dean, highlighted the extraordinary uniqueness of the AUP ceremony. Unlike typical medical rites, each freshman was presented with two foundational tools for their \u201cacademic armamentarium\u201d: the Holy Bible and Ellen G. White\u2019s <\/span>The Ministry of Healing<\/span><\/i>. These books are intended to be daily companions, serving as a \u201clamp for their feet\u201d and providing inspired instructions on God\u2019s methods of healing.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Mendoza further analogized the white coat to Christ\u2019s robe of righteousness, symbolizing divine approval and a life set apart for holy service. She noted that the short hem of the students\u2019 coats is a deliberate design, serving as a constant reminder of humility and the fact that they are still learners in the vast art of medicine.<\/span><\/p>\n A Legacy of Mission-Driven Education<\/b><\/p>\n Dr. Ruth Palomero, COM dean, reflected on the COM\u2019s decade-long journey since its inauguration in August 2015 as the first and only Adventist medical school in the Asia-Pacific region. She reminded Batch 2030 that they are entering a story written by God, following the footsteps of pioneers who envisioned an institution that prepares young people for lives of Christian service rather than just careers.<\/span><\/p>\n The Solemn Commitment:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n The ceremony culminated in the recitation of the Christian Physician\u2019s Oath, led by Dr. Percida Cocos, where students pledged to dedicate their lives to the \u201cfurtherance of Jesus Christ\u2019s healing and teaching ministry\u201d. The students committed to treating the wholeness of the patient as their first consideration and practicing their art with purity and honor.<\/span><\/p>\n The event concluded with a dedicatory prayer by Pastor Jerry Karundeng, COM chaplain, who asked for the students to be equipped with the ability to discern and be strengthened against the challenges of their medical journey. As these 89 future doctors begin their training, they carry the college motto as their guiding principle: \u201cThrough Christ, Healing and Wholeness\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) College of Medicine (COM) celebrated its 10th White Coat Ceremony at the Philippine International Church on August 2, 2026. Under the theme \u201cClothed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":11487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-13 14:39:14","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11484"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11494,"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11484\/revisions\/11494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aup.edu.ph\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}