The reason for this sudden departure was the keynote speaker, Dr. Kristin Collier.
Scorpioguessedthat about 70 of the 170 students left early, in addition to friends and family.
We hope to empower others, especially health professionals, and encourage them to find and use their voices.
Screenshot:Twitter
Collier has made her anti-abortion views known onTwitterand in themedia.
The petition included data from a poll that found that 91.7% were against Collier as a keynote speaker.
A group of students also made a personal request to Collier to step down, to no avail.
The University of Michigan responded to the controversy in a statement about the event itself.
The White Coat Ceremony is not a platform for discussion of controversial issues.
Its focus will always be on welcoming students into the profession of medicine, theuniversity expressed.
Dr. Collier never planned to address a divisive topic as part of her remarks.
However, the University of Michigan does not revoke an invitation to a speaker based on their personal beliefs.
