LAKE COUNTY — On Aug. 3, Shane Tipton, Clear Lake High School graduate and valedictorian of 2006, recited the “Oath for the Doctors of Medicine” at the Irvine Barclay Theater at U.C. Irvine Medical School along with 103 fellow students.
The class formed for the first time to participate in the White Coat Ceremony before an estimated 650 well-wishers.
The event is both a celebratory and solemn rite of passage for these future physicians who also received a pin from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to seal their commitment to provide compassionate and excellent care.
“The White Coat Ceremony is unique in that it celebrates both the end of a long admissions process and the beginning of their professional career,” Dr. Ellena Peterson, the School of Medicine”s associate dean of admissions said. “Having family and friends present to celebrate this transition makes this ceremony even more special. In a sense, it is a reverse graduation, one filled with pride, anticipation and hope for the future.” Tipton”s parents, Guy and Kim Tipton, attended the ceremony.
The event is part of an orientation process ending with the start of classes on Aug. 8.
On June 8 Tipton graduated Magna Cum Laude in biomedical engineering from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo School of Engineering.
After his first year at Cal Poly, Tipton took a leave of absence to serve for two years in the Chile, Rancagua Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Upon returning, he used his fluent Spanish to serve as a health professions peer advisor, a student tutor for Grade Potential, and to volunteer to assist in communications with Spanish speaking patients at local hospitals.
During graduation ceremonies, Tipton received special recognition for his research in the design of a scaffold appliance measuring device used for designing cardiovascular stints.
Tipton”s wife, Amanda, just passed the California state exam to work as a physician”s assistant. They live in Irvine where Tipton is attending U.C. Irvine Medical School. Tipton said he thanks all of those in the Lake County community and school system who have helped toward his opportunities for higher education in preparation for his career as a physician.
