The White Coat ceremony symbolizes students’ commitment to patient care, professionalism, and ethics. The On Becoming a Physician ceremony is also an annual rite of passage for future doctors that establishes standards for them to uphold on the path to becoming a physician.

Taraje Whitfield, is an MD, PhD student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. He is a former research assistant and Young Innovative Investigator Program (YIIP) scholar at The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering. Laurencin joined Taraje and his family as he took part in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine On Becoming a Physician ceremony.

Laurencin was also on hand at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. where Noah Martin, Oyindamola Teniola, and Sandro Cloiseau, all first-year medical students, took part in the White Coat ceremony. Martin is a former research assistant and participant in the Research Experience Mentor program (REM) for Undergraduate students at The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering. Teniola and Cloiseau are former Young Innovative Investigator Program (YIIP) scholars at The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering.

YIIP is a unique, intensive two-year program that helps develop the next generation of innovative scientists by providing academic training to individuals dedicated to pursuing careers as scientists and scholars in biological and biomedical science. The program is specifically focused on recruiting underrepresented students to contribute towards developing a sustainable pipeline to increase diversity among the pool of academic scientists. YIIP provides tools for scholars to conduct research, succeed in an academic environment, and become competitive candidates for medical school or graduate school.

The REU program (formerly REM) aims to mentor students from various backgrounds to prepare them for careers in STEM-related disciplines. The program recruits undergraduate students in professional development to provide them with skills including communications, scientific writing, and collaboration, while providing high-quality research experience. Each summer, participants in the REU program are welcomed at UConn Health for research training. Participants learn the basic aspects of research including research problem identification, experimental design, and execution; and have an opportunity to learn from a diverse group of scientists.

“I’ve often said that after it’s all said and done, success is really what you leave behind. I don’t ‘find time’ to engage in mentorship; it really is a part of the core of who I am and what I do,” said Laurencin. “I think to be an effective mentor, it has to be a priority. Great teachers, great scientists, and great people are often also great mentors. Relationships are built with trust and time.”

Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. Laurencin is the Chief Executive Officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named in his honor at UConn.

Laurencin is active in mentoring, especially underrepresented minority students. He received the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mentor Award, the Beckman Award for Mentoring, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math, and Engineering Mentoring in ceremonies at the White House. The Society for Biomaterials established The Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Travel Fellowship, in his honor, was awarded to underrepresented minority students pursuing research.

He created and established the UConn (YIIP) Young Innovative Investigator Program, the UConn ASPIRE Program (A Scientific Program in Regenerative Engineering) funded by the Department of Education, the UConn M-1 Mentorship Program, the UConn Pre-K K Award Application Training Program, the UConn Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation REM and REU Programs funded by NSF, and the UConn Graduate Training Program in Regenerative Engineering funded by an NIH T32 Institutional Training Grant. Nationally, the Society for Biomaterials established the Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Travelling Fellow Award Program for undergraduates in his honor.