The “2025–2026 Academic Year Dentistry White Coat Ceremony” at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) was held at the Sezai Karakoç Cultural Center with great enthusiasm and intense participation.

The opening ceremony was attended by BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Bekir Hakan Bakkal and Prof. Dr. Servet Karasu, Secretary General Prof. Dr. Zehra Safi Öz, Faculty of Dentistry Dean Prof. Dr. Baran Can Sağlam, Zonguldak Oral and Dental Health Center Chief Physician Emre Erbaycu, senate members, academicians, physicians, and students.

Following a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem, Faculty of Dentistry Dean Prof. Dr. Baran Can Sağlam took the podium to deliver the opening remarks. Sağlam expressed his deep honor at witnessing this joyful day for the students who will become future dentists and wished them continued success throughout their undergraduate studies. At the end of his speech, Prof. Dr. Sağlam thanked Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, who has consistently contributed to the Faculty of Dentistry, and everyone involved in the program.

Rector Özölçer: “As You Infuse Your Profession with Love, You Will Heal the Patients”

Following Prof. Dr. Baran Can Sağlam, Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer took the podium to deliver the opening remarks and expressed the following words:

We are gathered here today to share the indescribable pride and joy of our students, who will be the doctors of the future. On behalf of myself and my university, I wholeheartedly congratulate our distinguished students who have chosen the profession of dentistry and the valued families who have brought them to this day. Dear students, today you will start a new life by putting on your white coats. Your white coats are a symbol of honesty, nobility, and responsibility for the medical profession. They are a symbol of the love of serving all people, regardless of religion, language, or race. The white coat represents power and strength. During the long and challenging journey of your dental education, never stop benefiting from the knowledge and experience of your instructors who will guide you. The stains on these coats you will wear throughout your education and professional life will represent your sweat, diligence, and honor. Remember that medicine is a profession that requires dedication and commitment. It requires sacrifice, love, compassion, and devotion to your nation, your country, and humanity. As Sait Faik, the powerful voice of Turkish storytelling, said, "To love, "Everything begins with loving a person," and the words of master Sezai Karakoç, whom we commemorated with mercy and gratitude in this hall yesterday, "The way to enter their heart is sincerity," best describe the essence of medicine. Medicine begins with loving a person, with the sincerity and compassion he feels for his patients, and with the love he dedicates to his profession. As you combine that love, compassion, love, and sincerity with knowledge, as you approach your patients with compassion, those hearts will heal. Before concluding, I would like to thank, in your presence, our devoted families who have brought our students, the bright face of our future, to this day. I congratulate our academic and administrative staff for adding value to the development of our Faculty of Dentistry and extend my gratitude to our guests who were with us. I wish all our students a life filled with health, success, and happiness on their path to medicine.

Following the opening remarks, the white coat ceremony, attended by Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, began. Prospective dentists donned their white coats, symbolizing the meaning and importance of the profession. Following the ceremony, the oath of office was administered by Associate Professor Dr. Gaye Sağlam, a faculty member at BEUN Faculty of Dentistry. The ceremony concluded with a commemorative photo.

All photos for: dentistry