The University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine on Saturday welcomed 77 first-year medical students during a virtual White Coat Ceremony.

JABSOM announced the annual event, which marks the start of students’ medical careers at the start of the school year. It was held online via Zoom rather than the usual JABSOM’s auditorium gathering because of COVID-19 restrictions.

At the end of the ceremony, the class members and current physicians recited a modified version of the Hippocratic oath.

The incoming class is made up of 51 women and 26 men. Sixty are from Oahu, three from Maui, two from the Big Island and one from Kauai.

There are eight students from the U.S. mainland, two from Canada and one from Guam.

The incoming students were broken up into smaller groups during an orientation week, when they participated in activities to become familiar with JABSOM facilities, faculty, advisers and each other.

Their photos were also taken and IDs made, and the incoming students were allowed to make video shoutouts to friends and family.

“I just wanted to say thank you to all my family and my friends and my teachers and mentors who helped me get here to JABSOM,” said Kelli Kodame, an ‘Iolani School graduate, in her video shoutout. “I’m so excited to be here. This is the community that raised me, and I’m so excited to give back to this community.”

Kodame was born and raised in Honolulu.

During their final orientation day, students were separated into groups of six to eight students with advisers, who they will “journey” with throughout their four years of medical school.