A tradition at the University of Maryland School of Medicine since 1997, the White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for first-year medical students to celebrate medical education. The White Coat Ceremony features the presentation of traditional white coats, long the symbol of physicians and scientists, to first-year medical students. The coats are put on by School of Medicine faculty, to welcome their new colleagues to the profession of medicine. After being "coated," students recite a Code of Honor acknowledging their acceptance of the obligations of the medical profession.

The University of Maryland School of Medicine serves as the anchor for a large academic health center which aims to provide the best medical education, conduct the most innovative biomedical research and provide the best patient care and community service to Maryland and beyond.