Dr. Michael Sisti with his wife Elena and their sons Alexander (left) and Jonathan (right)

Just as he did last year at this time, Dr. Michael B. Sisti from the Brain Tumor and Gamma Knife Centers had a special reason to attend Columbia’s annual White Coat Ceremony. Another of his sons has entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S) to become a doctor.

Last year his son Alexander joined the class of 2016 and this year his son Jonathan donned the white coat as part of the P&S class of 2017. Before this, Jonathan Sisti graduated from the Columbia Engineering School with a BS in applied mathematics.

“As I am a graduate of Columbia Medical School( P&S), all three of us will have gotten our MDs from the same school,” says their dad, Dr. Michael Sisti.

Columbia’s traditional White Coat Ceremony took place on August 12 this year in collaboration with the The Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

Dr. Arnold Gold, who started the foundation, has been a faculty member of Columbia University and part of the Neurological Institute for almost 50 years. He also served as Professor of Pediatric Neurology for Dr. Sisti during his training.

Dr. Gold’s White Coat Ceremony was designed “to welcome entering medical students and help them to establish a psychological contract for the practice of medicine. The event emphasizes the importance of compassionate care for the patient as well as scientific proficiency. Currently, a White Coat Ceremony or similar rite of passage takes place at more than 90% of schools of medicine and osteopathy in the United States, as well as at all four medical schools in Israel.”

You can learn more about the White Coat Ceremony at www.humanism-in-medicine.org.