Within the scope of 22 November Dentists’ Day and Community Oral and Dental Health Week celebrations, Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Faculty of Dentistry held a white coat ceremony for the newly registered students in the 2020-2021 Academic Year Fall Semester. During the ceremony held at EMU Faculty of Dentistry at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, 23 November 2020, 16 students selected among 72 students wore their white coats as a representatives due to the pandemic.
Speaking after the observation of a moment of silence and the Turkish National Anthem, EMU Faculty of Dentistry Dean Prof. Dr. Hikmet Solak provided information about 22 November Dentists Day’ and talked about the development of the profession over the years. Expressing that the "Community Oral and Dental Health Week" has been celebrated throughout the country since 1996 in order to better reflect the importance of oral and dental health to the society, Prof. Dr. Solak added that the white coat ceremony is held to better understand the intricacies of the profession.
EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Prof. Aykut Hocanın wished a happy 22 November Dentists Day and Community Oral and Dental Health Week to all and emphasized that EMU has taken initiative in terms of education and research in the field of health with the Faculties of Health, Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry. Stating that they aim to increase education and research in the field of health within the scope of the strategic plan, Prof. Dr. Hocanın emphasized that the necessary infrastructural work has been carried out by EMU to better serve the society in the field of health and that various decisions have been taken in this context.
Prof. Dr. Hocanın emphasized that EMU has to put forward its strength in the field of health, as in other fields, to integrate with the society and to take part in scientific production at the highest level. Prof. Dr. Hocanın underlined that that’s why they attach great importance to this week. Prof. Dr. also wished success to all students.
Following the opening addresses, students were donned their white coats by Rector Prof. Dr. Hocanın, Board of Trustees member Halil İbrahim Orun, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Aktuğlu and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz İşçioğlu, Dean of Faculty of Dentistry Prof. Dr. Hikmet Solak, Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Nahide Gökçora, Faculty of Pharmacy Dean Prof. Dr. Müberra Koşar and Vice Dean of Faculty of Dentistry Prof. Dr. Şükrü Tüzmen. The ceremony, attended by faculty deans, faculty members and parents of students, ended after the students planted olive tree saplings in the garden of the Faculty of Dentistry.
