Oct 29, 2026
CHP’s perfusion program celebrates another milestone as first cohort dons their white coats
Although the Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion is one of the newer programs at Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Health Professions, it has already reached a major milestone. In October, the program held its inaugural white coat ceremony, which honored the first cohort of 10, who are now finishing their studies and will soon start clinical rotations.
Keith Pelletier, Ph.D., director of the perfusion program, said the ceremony symbolizes their hard work and career progression.
“It's really about celebrating them starting the actual clinical part of their training and going out into the field,” Pelletier said. “It's a good way to send them off and have them start their journey.”
Ceremony and symbolism
The ceremony, which took place at CHP, included guest speakers, individual recognitions and the symbolic donning of a white coat. While the tradition is observed at other perfusion programs throughout the country, Pelletier said the celebration is meant to show students’ progress and also to be a positive moment for them and their families as they mark a major milestone.
“Day to day, you see the students come in doing the work, knowing that this is what they want to be when they finish the program,” Pelletier said. “Seeing the family, seeing their support system behind it and not just seeing the student being excited for it, but everyone else invested in them excited too, makes it mean so much more.”
While recognition is important for the cohort, Nickie Damico, Ph.D., Herbert T. Watson Endowed Professor and department chair, emphasized that the white coat ceremony is also a monumental occasion for the program and the department as a whole. She said many of the graduates had distinguished themselves throughout the course, with awards being distributed for academic performance and other superlatives. Damico adds that the first perfusion cohort will be making its impressions on the wider medical community.
“Once they see the performance and the preparation of the students, it will be their first taste of the quality of the program as personified in these trainees,” Damico said. “We're really hopeful that once that happens, we will have hospitals and health systems seeking us out to train and hire our students.”
Damico adds that the ceremony was well attended by members of the nurse anesthesia program and offered a valuable opportunity for the two arms of the department to collectively celebrate, which does not happen every day.
The white coat ceremony is expected to be an annual event for students in the perfusion program.
Student and program future
For Pelletier, the ceremony is not just a celebration of the completion of classes and simulation but also a way for him to give back to the broader perfusion and health care community. He highlighted that many students are already networking and seeking permanent employment, and they are also excited to be part of the first cohort and ready to move on to the next step in their careers. Pelletier says he will also be available to help any student with securing job opportunities.
“Education and giving back to the perfusion community has always been big for me, even before this role,” Pelletier said. “I love being part of a student's journey, and being able to be a large part of it means so much. The fact that we have so many hospital sites (interested in taking students) was just really nice to see.”
As for the wider perfusion program, Damico said it will have some “downtime” in the CHP building for now, then start with a brand-new cohort at the beginning of 2027. The program will undergo an intensive review in the spring to obtain accreditation, which will include an already completed self-study and an on-campus visit.
View photos of the ceremony on Flickr. Visit the Department of Nurse Anesthesia’s website to learn more about the Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion program.