At White Coat Ceremony, a Drive to Help Others Inspires Students in Med School Journey

For Boto, 27, receiving the coat represented another milestone in a journey that has already included years of caring for patients.

After joining the first aid squad, he trained as an EMT and worked in the Bronx and Irvington. A scholarship from RWJBarnabas Health enabled him to complete paramedic school in 14 months. He started working as a paramedic for University Hospital in Newark in 2022, a job that made him realize he wanted to become a physician and serve the city's culturally diverse community.

Boto came to Rutgers in 2023 to finish his undergraduate education. He is part of a seven-year BA/MD program that will allow him to take one year of medical school courses before receiving his undergraduate degree. This makes it possible for Boto-who is on his way to becoming the first physician in his family-to receive his medical degree in seven years instead of eight.

Wearing the white coat, represents "a commitment to being a lifelong student," as well as serving his community, he said.

"My dream is actually to stay in Newark," Boto said. "It's like a melting pot of culture."

For Carter Hohl, the route to medicine began in a very different place.

Hohl, who recently turned 30, received his undergraduate degree in business in 2019 and went on to work at J.P. Morgan before moving into business development in institutional cryptocurrency. But professional success eventually gave way to larger questions about whether his career aligned with his values and the kind of impact he wanted to have on others.

His grandfather's sudden death brought those issues into sharper focus. So did his involvement with Lime Connect, an international organization supporting students and professionals with disabilities. Hohl wants to improve the understanding of neurodiversity and help others receive the support they need.

"I'm very fortunate to be in a position where I can look back on my own life and see if I can help other people the same way other people helped me," he said.

Hohl is interested in practicing pediatric psychiatry but remains open to where his medical education may lead.

The white coat, he said, conveys responsibility, not status.

"I think the white coat should be worn with humility and with the constant reminder of what you're here for," Hohl said. "You're not here for prestige and glory. You're here to really help people."

Hohl's commitment to service is shared by classmate Laila Gad, 24, whose path to medicine brought together journalism, environmental science and public health.