ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- On Saturday morning, family, friends, and supporters packed the stands of the newly renamed LECOM Event Center for LECOM's Class of 2028 White Coat Ceremony.

The achievements of over 100 medical students were celebrated during what LECOM faculty deems a big milestone in their medical careers. This was the first time that many of these future physicians put on their coats.

"Well, remember, they started many of them four years ago in college and pre-medical," said Dr. Richard Terry, the associate dean of academic affairs at LECOM. "Now they have four years of medical school and then at least three to potentially seven or eight years of residency training. So this is the beginning. This is where it starts, where they start to get that identity, professionalism, humanism, and really what it means to be a great osteopathic physician."

During the ceremony, students were able to hear from faculty members before being adorned with their white coats.

The process of becoming a physician is rigorous but, some LECOM students say it's worth it, as this is something they've been waiting on for many years.

"It's kind of unreal," said Fazila Haque, one of the LECOM students who received their white coats on Saturday. "I'm really excited to go on into the future. It's been something that I've been thinking about for so long now and it kind of just is hitting me right now all at once. That like, I actually have my white coat and being able to pursue my dream is something that I have been writing in my journal about forever now, and now it's coming into fruition, and I'm so excited for that."

After the medical rite of passage, students recited the Osteopathic Pledge of Commitment to seal the deal.

With this, they made several promises. The biggest one is to provide quality and compassionate care to patients.

"Aside, from being competent physicians, I want them to be able to be honest and put their patients first, because no one else will advocate for their patients than their physician," said Dr. Terry. "That's what's in need. That's what's missing in medicine sometimes."

Dr. Terry also said the crowd of nearly 1,200 supporters is the biggest LECOM faculty has ever seen.

He continued, saying the White Coat Ceremony is just one big step in their journeys of becoming osteopathic physicians and committing to serve patients full-time.