Beebe hosts white coat ceremony for new residents
Beebe Healthcare welcomed its newest resident doctors July 11, at its second annual white coat ceremony.
Held at the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing, the ceremony is a rite of passage for medical students, symbolizing their commitment to patient care, professionalism and ethical practice. The four residents – Gianna Grogan, DO; Dorothy Vosik, DO; Elsa Tabrez, MD; and Philande Ntock, MD – were each presented with a white coat, a symbol of their transition from the classroom to a clinical setting, where they will begin applying their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Dr. David Tam, president and CEO of Beebe Healthcare said, “This means a tremendous amount to me personally. When I got here four years ago, we really had to transform Beebe Healthcare. We had to move to continue to serve the people of Sussex County while positioning ourselves to grow. These new residents are a living testimony to our concept of cherishing our heritage, such as the 104-year-old building we just rededicated, while embracing our future.”
Grogan is thrilled to be working in an area that brings back so many fond childhood memories. Originally from southern Maryland, her family often vacationed in the Delaware beach towns. As Grogan began thinking about where to pursue training following graduation from medical school, the Family Medicine Residency program at the R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education had immediate appeal, based on location alone.
“I am especially interested in community medicine and wanted opportunities during my training to have impact both inside and outside of the hospital setting,” said Grogan. “Beebe is very engrained in the community, and there are so many ways to get involved here.”
After Ntock interviewed for a position within the Family Medicine Residency program at Beebe Healthcare, she shed a few tears of joy.
“I knew I had found the place that was right for me,” said Ntock. “Dr. Ryan Arias encouraged me to stay calm and think out loud. He reassured me that there were no ‘wrong answers’ and to trust my clinical thinking process. I knew I would love to work with him; someone who values the thought process.”
Ntock’s interest in medicine stems from a personal story she has repeatedly heard throughout her life. She was born very early, and spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit as a newborn. Knowing that her family had very limited financial resources, one of the doctors taking care of her graciously covered the hospital bill.
Tabrez grew up understanding just how important the work of doctors is. Her mom is a family medicine physician. Her dad is a gastroenterologist. Despite their encouragement to become anything she wanted to be, Tabrez is proud to be following in their footsteps.
In researching residency programs for post-graduate training, Tabrez came across the R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education. The more she learned, the more confident she felt that Sussex County might be a good fit for both professional and personal reasons.
“I have learned so much about social determinants of health, and that there are many reasons why some people do not have access to healthcare,” said Tabrez. “I want to be the kind of doctor who aims to change that. I want to advocate for my patients, build trusting relationships with them, and create continuity in their care.”
Deep down, Vosik always hoped that her career path and her love for life on the Delaware coast would merge. In March 2024, it did, when she opened her Match Day envelope and learned that she would be spending the next three years at Beebe Healthcare, to complete her family medicine residency training.
She resides in Milton, and spent a clinical rotation year at Beebe while working toward her medical degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
“My experience at Beebe as a medical student was great. The attendings welcomed us with open arms and took the time to make sure we got a lot out of our clinical rotations,” said Vosik. “The idea of spending more time here and learning more from this team of people who are clearly committed to medical training and education, had a lot of appeal.”
Learn more about the R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education’s programs at beebehealthcare.org/medical-education.
