White coat ceremony welcomes 58 medical students to Rockford
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford hosted a white coat ceremony on Friday to celebrate the start of 58 students journey toward becoming doctors.
The ceremony is a right of passage for the Class of 2029 as they arrive on campus, 1601 Parkview Ave., to begin their education.
“We’re definitely hitting the ground running pretty fast,” said Gabriel DeBenedetto, the only Rockford native in the Class of ’29. “While we were sitting there in the auditorium we actually got a notification on our phones that we have an assignment due already.”
DeBenedetto, 24, is a Boylan Catholic High School graduate who earned his undergraduate degree at Endicott College in Massachusetts. He said he’s known for a long time that he wants to become a doctor.
“I’ve done extensive work in the hospital, and every time I step foot into the hospital I just know that’s where I want to be with the rest of my life,” he said. “I love working with patients. I love the interactions and the relationships that you get to build with patients.”
This year’s class includes about 45 students from Illinois, but there are also students from Seoul and Changwon City in South Korea, as well as London, Ontario, in Canada. Others come from Colorado, California, Nevada, Indiana, Wisconsin, Rhode Island and Tennessee.
“A percentage of those students, after they finish their training, will end up practicing within Rockford,” said Dr. Alex Stagnaro-Green, regional dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford “There are dozens and dozens of physicians who trained here in one form or another who then liked it so much, not surprisingly, they decided to stay.”
Berk Rasheed came to study in Rockford from London, Ontario, because he has family nearby in Algonquin. He’s considering a surgical specialty.
“I was really amazed by the personal staff and the sense of community that was really going on in Rockford. I think it’s something that every community all throughout the world really has to foster,” the 26-year-old medical student said. “It’s a pleasure to be here in Rockford and the University of Illinois. They’ve been really welcoming and have come to me with open arms, and I like to do the same. I’m really happy to be here.”
Stagnaro-Green said the ceremony is an opportunity for students to express their dedication to the field of medicine.
“It’s a complex journey, it takes many years, but it’s exciting,” he said. “They will learn so much, they’ll grow so much.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
