The Office of Student Affairs coordinates the following events:

Orientation
White Coat Ceremony
Reorientation
Match Day
Graduation

Orientation
Orientation week introduces new students to the staff, faculty, and fellow students, and to the curriculum, services and resources at UCSF. Orientation week includes Advisory College lunches, a workshop on diversity and health care missions, an introduction to gross anatomy lab, an introduction to small group learning, field trips to various San Francisco sites, a panel of second-year students, a big sib/little sib dinner, the White Coat Ceremony and much more.

White Coat Ceremony
At the White Coat Ceremony, the incoming students are “coated” with their new white coats by their Advisory College Mentors. The ceremony signifies the beginning of the students’ medical education at UCSF and their commitment to uphold the Honor Code.

Reorientation
At the beginning of the Winter quarter, halfway through the first year of school, a meeting is organized for the Med 1 class to discuss any current issues and learn about the many different options for summer experiences.

In August, on the first day of the second year of school, a meeting is planned for the Med 2 class to welcome them back and share information and announcements.

Match Day
In March, on Match Day, all fourth-year students will be excused from clerkships in the morning so they can come to the student lounge where the Office of Student Affairs hosts a breakfast in their honor. At 9:00 am we distribute envelopes containing match results. Family and friends are welcome to join in this celebration.

Students who do not attend the celebration can call the office after 9:00 am or log onto the NRMP website at 10:00 am to get their match results.

Graduation
The graduation ceremony is held in May and all students are invited to attend. Graduates can invite as many guests as they like. The ceremony usually lasts two hours. The ceremony consists of a welcome from the dean, a convocation speech, a senior address, the presentation of the Gold-headed Cane award and the conferring of the MD degree. UCSF’s School of Medicine graduation is unique in that graduates may have up to three “hooders” go with them on stage. Hooders are chosen by the graduates and can be anyone of their choosing. They place the MD hood on the graduate and are photographed with the graduate. Most often hooders are family and friends who have supported the graduate during their education.