It’s common for new medical students to get butterflies before their first day of class. It’s extremely uncommon for every one of them to be gifted a Butterfly – more precisely, a Butterfly iQ+ point-of-care ultrasound device. So uncommon, in fact, that Lewis Katz School of Medicine medical students are the first in Philadelphia and on the East Coast to begin school with their own point-of-care ultrasound devices.
“I did not see that coming,” said first-year student Mirelle Rojane, just minutes after receiving the gift at the end of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s White Coat ceremony.
The ceremony, held on August 6 at the Temple Performing Arts Center, welcomed the Class of 2025 to the profession of medicine and to the Temple medical family – with more than 5,000 family, friends and supporters attending in person and viewing online.
“Ultrasound is undergoing amazing innovation right now, and Temple is setting the pace for medical education in Philadelphia—in fact, across the country—by incorporating the technology into our MD program curriculum,” said Interim Katz School Dean Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, just seconds before announcing the gift.
As Dr. Goldberg told the students, “The future of medicine is right here at Temple—right now—and you, Class of 2025, are about to hold it in your hands!” The auditorium erupted in cacophony as students held up their new ultrasounds for guests in the audience to see.
Class of 2025 students will begin learning how to use the Butterfly iQ+, an advanced, hand-held assessment tool that plugs into a mobile device and allows the user to evaluate patients at the bedside, during their first semester, with a basic introduction to ultrasound and then hands-on sessions in the classroom. As students make their way through anatomy, physiology, cardiology, and other courses, they will learn to incorporate ultrasound in various clinical contexts.
This high-tech gift—which was made in tandem with Temple-branded stethoscopes gifted through donations from alumni, faculty, and friends—was made possible by Katz School alumnus and Board of Visitors past president Ronald Salvitti, MD ’63. Addressing the class, Dr. Salvitti remarked, “my primary philanthropic interest is to support the education of Temple medical students. I am honored for the opportunity to give back to the university which has given me so much.”
Dr. Goldberg opened this year’s ceremony — her first White Coat ceremony as Interim Dean—and Dr. Jason Wingard’s first official speaking engagement as Temple University’s new President.
“One of the things that attracted me to Temple is its status as best-of-class in education, research, and health,” Dr. Wingard said. “The Butterfly iQ+ ultrasound is a path-breaking gift that will introduce our medical students to advanced medical imaging as they begin their coursework, creating a solid foundation for them to become leaders and innovators in medicine.”
During the ceremony, Dr. Goldberg gave the students sage advice. “You are entering medicine during an incredible time. Our world is changing daily, and our access to innovative, medicine-changing tools and technologies is growing just as quickly. But remember, medicine is more than technology. Your challenge is to master technology, while maintaining your humanity. Therein lies the art of medicine,” she said.
Keynote speaker Katz School graduate, Board of Visitors member, and parent of two Katz School of Medicine physician alumnae Jeffrey Dayno, MD ’88, Chief Medical Officer of Harmony Bioscience, shared some of his personal journey in medicine, from practicing neurologist to leadership positions in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He charged the students to “think big and think outside the box – because change and innovation usually occurs out along the edges of established thinking.”
Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE, President and CEO of Temple University Health System and Temple University Hospital, also addressed the students. “That Temple patch on your white coat signifies that you are part of a team. You’ve earned the privilege of entering the medical profession. It is our privilege that you chose to learn at Temple.”
Following Young’s remarks, it was time for the students to don their new white coats, called to the stage by Gerald Sterling, PhD, one of the school’s Senior Associate Deans. Once there, Temple faculty members, leaders and the occasional Katz School alumnus grandparent, parent, or sibling helped them into their coat.
At the conclusion of the coating, the students recited the Oath of Geneva, along with a class oath they had written during orientation.
First-year student Christopher Washington, already wearing his stethoscope around his neck and with his Butterfly device in hand, summed up what his new classmates were thinking as he walked into the bright sunshine of a beautiful August day: “This is just the start of something big.”
Fellow student Tomas Prudencio said that receiving the Butterfly iQ+ solidified what he already knew about the Katz School of Medicine.
“I chose Temple because of its dedication to research, innovation, and urban medicine -- and giving each of us a Butterfly device is just another way in which they’re preparing us to become the best physicians we can be,” he said.
You can help support our innovation in medical education, including providing students with point-of-care ultrasound devices, by making a gift: giving.temple.edu/butterfly
- Giselle Zayon