Student Doctor Shifts from Optometry to DO Program
White Coat Ceremony Marks Her Official Entry Into the Medical Profession
Harsimran Kaur, a first-year medical student at Touro University California's College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUCOM), recently achieved a major milestone on her path to becoming a physician.
After years of hard work and dedication, Harsimran was awarded her white coat during TUCOM's White Coat Ceremony, marking her official entry into the medical profession.
Harsimran completed her undergraduate education at UC Davis before enrolling in Touro's Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences program. This one-year program helped prepare her for medical school by allowing her to take advanced courses and get comfortable with Touro's campus and faculty. After excelling in the program, Harsimran was guaranteed an interview at TUCOM.
Harsimran originally considered a career in optometry but after exploring all the options in the medical field realized that she wanted to treat the whole patient. Now in her first year of medical school, Harsimran is enjoying getting to know all her new classmates after having a much smaller cohort of around 40 students in the master's program. She has found everyone to be friendly and supportive, which contributes to the tight-knit community feel of Touro's campus.
At Touro, Harsimran plans to further explore her passion for global medicine by participating in summer medical trips to Africa and getting involved in research and courses related to global health equity. She wants to gain as much knowledge as she can in school so she can provide care in underdeveloped parts of the world that lack access to healthcare.
Reflecting on her white coat ceremony, Harsimran remembers feeling emotional seeing her mother's proud tears. For her, the white coat symbolizes years of hard work finally coming to fruition. She hopes to carry the same passion and dedication throughout her four years of medical school.
Harsimran loves Touro's conveniently organized campus where she constantly runs into classmates and professors while walking between buildings. For her, the community feel, and supportive faculty are what make Touro stand out. She feels grateful to be on this journey to becoming a physician and looks forward to all she will learn on the path ahead.