CEREMONY CONTRIBUTORS
Marvin L. Crawford, M D M.Div., FACP Chief Celebrant
Saunder Reid , Program Manager
Ephraim Thomas, Program Coordinator
DOM Administrative Team
Department of Admissions & Student Affairs
Department of Medicine
Department of Medical Education
Student Government Association
Family & Friends
Special Thanks
James A. McCoy, M.D., FACS
Administrative Services
Office of the President
Office of the Dean
Office of Institutional Advancement
Office of Admissions & Student Affairs
Office of Medical Education
Marketing and Communications
Department of Information Technology
Ladies and Gentlemen of the White Coat Society
Memories
By These Healing Hands History
This ceremony, born of the writer’s love for liturgy and ritual as a vehicle of cohesion and celebration of common ideas and principles, was first presented to the Morehouse School of Medicine 3rd year Internal Medicine students in 2006 who thought the idea of celebrating our commitment to compassionate caring was great and should be implemented. Marvin L. Crawford, M.D., M.Div., FACP, Internal Medicine Clerkship Director wrote the ceremony
It was an appropriate time for the most prominent medical school, Morehouse School of Medicine, to kick off an event that celebrated compassion since the school had been cited by the New England Journal of Medicine as being the most socially conscious medical school in America. Since May of 2011, the ceremony has taken on a life of its own with the hope for expansion to other socially conscious medical schools who want to celebrate the compassionate physician.
SYMBOLS:
Los Curanderos Gown – Green trims for medicine
• Right lower pocket – small book symbolizing knowledge
• Left lower pocket – an item symbolizing clinical skills or area of expertise
• Left lower pocket – badge symbolizing compassion
Stoles & Cords
• Symbolizing compassionate caring
RITUALS
This ritual marks the beginning of what will become the pivotal ceremony in celebrating the commitment to compassionate care for healthcare providers and researchers.
A multicultural, spiritual celebration for the newly graduating healthcare providers, administrators, researcher matched students as a committed world changer through deeds that will close the healthcare equity gap.
By These Healing Hands Commitment Ceremony Order
of Celebration
PROCESSIONAL
ANTHEM * “Lift Every Voice & Sing.”
Chevienne Jones, D. Min
INVOCATION…………………………………………
GREETING
Victor Blake, MD , MTS, FACP
Cinnamon Bradley , M D , FACP, Associate Dean , Student Affairs
Joseph A. Tyndall, MD, EVP and Dean
OCCASION .............................................................
Keana Murray, President, Student Government Association
LITANY * Janelle Tanghal
MUSICAL SELECTION
WORDS OF HOPE
Role of Charitable Giving
Harold Stringer, MD, Professor of Medicine
Gerald Van Jones
Role of Community Service ....................................... Farah Abaza
Role of Compassion in Healthcare Delivery .............. Brittany Campbell, PhD
COMMITMENT PLEDGE
History, Purpose and Symbols
Faculty Induction
Marvin L. Crawford, M D , Chief Celebrant
Marvin L. Crawford, M.D., Chief Celebrant
Induction of Healthcare Providers ............................ Class of 20 25
COMMITMENT OATH ..............................................
David Anderson, M.D., FACP.
INTERNATIONAL ANTHEM OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS “Let Our Hands Move to Heal”
BENEDICTION *
James McCoy, MD, FACS
RECESSIONAL …………………………… “Let Our Hands Move To Heal” Original Hym n”
Chevienne Jones, D. Min
Purpose
To celebrate the newly matched medical student’s commitment to uphold the social mission of healthcare through compassionate caring, charitable giving and community service for all people, especially the underserved, and extension of healthcare to all the world.
The Litany
Leader: Honor those who provide healthcare for they are instruments of their Creator.
People: We will honor
Leader: Pray that they do it with compassion and in the spirit of humility.
People: We will pray
Leader: Pray for their success in understanding, preventing, diagnosing and treating disease.
People: For them we pray
Leader: Remember healing comes from on high and medicine from the earth; forever give thanks to the Creator.
People: We give thanks
All: Pray that their hands move to heal, and God’s people live.
The Benediction
And on this day, O’ God, we have lifted our hands to become instruments of your healing powers.
So blessed are our hands that will comfort mothers and hold newborn babies.
Blessed are our hands that will cradle children and guide adolescents.
Blessed are our hands that will maintain the health of adults.
Blessed are our hands that will hold the hands of seniors.
Blessed are our hands that will comfort those who return unto you.
Let us go now to heal your people.
Amen
INTERNATIONAL ANTHEM OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
Let Our Hands Move to Heal
1. Let our gifted hands move to heal, And let all our deep love to feel To help all God’s people to live Prolonging their days, new hope we give.
2. Broken hearts we will feel Compassion let us daily live Open our eyes to see deep care Reveal our sacred skills to share.
3. Let outstretched arms embrace, Healing all genders, ages and race. Let healthcare take its rightful place, Avail to the entire human race.
4. Keepers of healing gifts Let us practice and never tire. May our minds new knowledge hear Cure sickness far and sickness near.
5. When our calling over, Retire white coats on our open doors. To the apprentice our skills pass Perpetual healing to last.
Refrain:
Let our hands move to heal, Let our hands move to heal, Let God’s people live. Across the land, over the sea, healing will be for you and me. Let our hands move to heal.
Lyrics: Marvin L. Crawford, Sr.,
Tune: Marvin L. Crawford, Jr.,
Community
Service
INTERNATIONAL ANTHEM OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
Let Our Hands Move to Heal
Let our hands move to heal Let all deep love to feel
To help God’s people all to live
Prolong their days, new hope we give. Let our hands move to heal
Let our hands move to heal
For Broken hearts we feel Compassion let us live
Open our eyes to see deep care
Reveal our sacred skills to share. Let our hands move to heal
Let our hands move -- to heal
Let outstretched arms-- embrace, Healing all age -- and race.
Let healthcare take its rightful place, Avail to the whole hu --man race.
Let our hands move to heal --
Let our hands move to heal
Keepers of heal --ing gifts
We work and nev-er tire. May our minds new deep knowledge hear Cure sickness far and sickness near. Let our hands move to heal
Let our hands move -- to heal
And when our call ings done, Retire white coats on doors. To students near we pass our skills
Perpetual healing they will give.
Let our hands move to heal
Let our hands move to heal
Refrain:
Let all God’s people live. All-- God’s peo --ple live --
Across the sea and o’er the fields
Let our hands move to heal.
Lyrics: Marvin L. Crawford, Sr.,
Re-Arrangement: Oliver Nathan Greene, Ph.D.
Commitment Oath
“I, (STATE NAME), WILL USE MY GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE, CLINICAL AND
TECHNICAL SKILLS AND MY DIVINELY GUIDED WILL TO DELIVER
COMPASSIONATE HEALTHCARE TO ALL, REGARDLESS OF
ETHNICITY, CREED, RELIGION, GENDER OR SOCIOECONOMIC
STATUS. I WILL USE MY RESOURCES AND INFLUENCE TO OBTAIN
HEALTHCARE FOR ALL ESPECIALLY THE UNDERSERVED. I WILL
PROMOTE COMPASSIONATE CARE, PASSIONATE SCHOLARSHIP, AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE TO CLOSE THE HEALTHCARE GAP. BY THESE HANDS, THIS I WILL DO”.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the White Coat Society”
2025 Student Inductees
Theodora Abah Orthopedic Surgery
Farah Abaza Urology
Chimsom Agbim Internal Medicine
Omojolaade Akintade Internal Medicine
Sonny Anosike Physical Medicine & Rehab
Ene Anteyi
Obstetrics-Gynecology
Sadiq Baker Anesthesiology
Tylanna Baker
Obstetrics-Gynecology
Yailee Bangura Psychiatry
Darlene Bio Family Medicine
Tamarah Bratcher Child Neurology
Phebe Brocke
Obstetrics-Gynecology
Alden Brown Pediatrics
Brandi Campbell Emergency Medicine
Amandha Darius Pediatrics
Caroline Donnay Child Neurology
Jesse Emefiele Internal Medicine
Jahlecia Gregory Psychiatry
Arrianna Hagins Family Medicine
Bria Harris Pediatrics
Samer Hasona Emergency Medicine
KaBrea Jones Pediatrics
Karan Joshi Anesthesiology
Stefan King Internal Medicine
Zoë Macfoy Emergency Medicine
Matthew
Ka'Necia Mann Martin Emergency Medicine Child Neurology
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the White Coat Society”
2025 Student Inductees
Kelly Montgomery Pediatrics
Keana Murray Family Medicine
Eden Obomeghie Psychiatry
Tomiwa Oderinde General Surgery
Michael Okafor Diagnostic Radiology
Amenze Omoruyi Family Medicine
Kosi Orizu Anesthesiology
Gene Osuoha Internal Medicine
Rashida M. Payne Family Medicine
Kajalen Pogue
Obstetrics-Gynecology
Cherrell Price Ophthalmology
Leslie Roman Pathology
Doris Sagastume Emergency Medicine
Miles Simms Psychiatry
Shakeria Stewart Pediatrics
Nolan Stubbs Neurosurgery
Janelle Tanghal Internal Medicine
Kevin Thornton Pediatrics
Loren Ugheoke Diagnostic Radiology
Shelbi Ware General Surgery
Jarah Nicole Whitehead Internal Medicine
Rodney B. Whitney Jr. Anesthesiology
Adam Whitsett Obstetrics-Gynecology
Haeyoung
Jenna Won Psychiatry
Mikayla Woodard Obstetrics-Gynecology
Tatyana Young General Surgery
Jerry Yue Physical Medicine & Rehab
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the White Coat Society”
2025 Faculty Inductees
Errol Crook, MD
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the White Coat Society”
2025 Nurses Inductees
Brittany Chapman
Kristen Grizzard
Norma Poindexter
