At UGA SOM, we love our celebrations. Our medical students will enjoy the fellowship with all medical schools through shared experiences such as the White Coat Ceremony, Honor Society inductions, and Match Day, while also commemorating events and activities unique to UGA SOM.
Annual Events
Orientation
Your journey at the UGA School of Medicine begins with a dynamic, required orientation experience designed to connect you to your classmates, UGA, and communities across Georgia.
Orientation will begin and end on campus in Athens (Monday and Friday), where you will engage with school leadership, learn about the curriculum, and begin building your medical school community. Tuesday through Thursday, you will take part in a signature experience: a three-day tour across Georgia. This immersive “Georgia Road Trip” will introduce you to the communities, health systems, and partners that shape healthcare across the state. You will visit hospitals, meet community leaders, explore regional health challenges, and gain firsthand insight into the mission and impact of the UGA School of Medicine.
White Coat Ceremony
Signifying official induction into medical school training, the iconic short white coat is presented to students in a ceremony early in their first year.
Holiday Revue
Following the rich tradition of arts and creativity in Athens, SOM students will don costumes, belt into microphones, and play their best dramatic and comedic roles at the Holiday Revue before winter break. House skits will be a signature event.
Doctor Prom
Time to get fancy! Students can look forward to the annual Doctor Prom to dance away the winter doldrums and ring in spring (and Match).
Match Day
Match Day is the seminal event on every medical school calendar. It is often even more memorable than graduation day itself. Welcome your family and loved ones to campus to celebrate the great reveal of what and where your future lies.
House Games
The House Games will be the signature end-of-year SOM event where one House will be awarded the House Cup. Students will proudly wear their House colors and compete in events that test even the most seasoned competitor. Who will rise to the challenge? Which House will hoist the hallowed House Cup?
Senior Awards
Senior students will celebrate each other at the annual awards banquet, where excellence will be recognized and applauded.
Hooding & Graduation
The final events on the academic calendar are hooding and graduation. Students will be ceremoniously hooded with the traditional green-trimmed hood signaling the transition from student to physician. The new physicians will recite the Hippocratic Oath witnessed by their faculty, family, and friends.