"As a medical student and a future doctor, I solemnly promise that I will perform to the best of my ability to care for the sick, promote good health, and alleviate suffering." On the morning of 3 September, the solemn pledge of medical students resonated through the halls of the School of Medicine, CUHK-Shenzhen at the White Coat Inauguration Ceremony for 2021 Medical Freshmen.

The ceremony was also graced by the presence of CUHK-Shenzhen Vice President Zhi-Quan Tom Luo, Vice President Shiping Zhu, Associate Vice President Tony Li, Vice President K.C. Yuen, Associate Vice President X.Q. Cai, Associate Vice President Yang Gu, Associate Vice President B.T. Zhu, Adviser to the President Ms. Yuexia Wu, Dean of CUHK(SZ) MED Davy Cheng, as well as Dean of the School of Life and Health Sciences Richard Ye, who all expressed their congratulations to the new students on their transition into the hallowed halls of medicine.

Vice President Luo, on behalf of the University, delivered a speech for the White Coat Inauguration Ceremony. According to him, the School of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen is the first Chinese-foreign cooperative medical school approved by the Ministry of Education of PRC,  as well as the first medical school to be established in cooperation with Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the Greater Bay Area. In the future, CUHK(SZ) MED will draw on the mature and advanced medical education system and strict academic standards of CUHK MED, and integrate the experience and curriculum of international first-class medical schools to develop into an international medical school ready for the future.

In his speech, Vice President Luo expressed his ardent expectations for the new students: "Those whose virtue is not as noble as Buddha's cannot be doctors, and those whose talent (medical skills) is not as brilliant as God's cannot be doctors." Putting on the white coat means the trust and commitment of millions of lives. Luo hopes that students will become healers with a soul, conscience, warmth and commitment, and continuously refine their medical skills, sharpen their character, and bring happiness and hope to the world by guarding life as their original intention.

During the gowning ceremony, university leaders and representatives of the medical school faculty conferred white coats on the inaugural class, marking the spiritual baptism and transformation into a medical student.

The white coat of a doctor symbolises purity, love and devotion. The ceremony is meant to impart to medical students an understanding of the sacred duties and mission of a medical practitioner, to pass on the spirit of the medical profession of "saving lives and helping the injured", and to bring about a lifelong reverence and faith in life.

Led by Professor TAM, Siu Cheung Michael, the medical students solemnly pledged: "I therefore pledge to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitude required for the practice of medicine.” The white coat and mission were passed on, and the vow was powerful. With a positive outlook and high morale, the medical students expressed their determination and belief to strive for a lifetime in medicine.

Professor Davy Cheng, Dean of CUHK(SZ) MED, also delivered a speech to congratulate the inaugural class of medical students on the start of their sacred and remarkable medical studies. He said he would be with the students for the next six years of their studies and growth, and encouraged them to take health seriously, put people first, take up the responsibility and mission, and become excellent healers.

Ms. Zhao Ruijia, representative of the freshmen, shared her reasons for choosing medicine and her plans to better adapt to university life. Having a dream of medicine since childhood, she was grateful for the world-class teaching resources and pioneering collaboration of the School of Medicine. She looked forward to CUHK(SZ) MED as a platform to realise her dream and expressed her excitement for her future medical life.

This is the beginning, not the end. CUHK(SZ) MED hopes that every medical student will cherish the opportunity to live up to the glory of the white coat and take up the responsibility of being the guardian of people's lives and health in the future.