Michigan medical students walk out on anti-abortion speaker

On the night of Sunday 24 July, at the University of Michigan Medical School’s annual white coat ceremony, incoming medical students recited oaths, received their white coats – and then dozens of them walked out, writes Becky Sullivan for NPR.

At issue was the keynote speaker, Dr Kristin Collier, a Michigan faculty member and primary care physician who has spoken publicly about her Christian beliefs and anti-abortion views.

In a video posted online, dozens of students can be seen walking out of the auditorium as Collier began her address. The video, recorded and posted by Detroit resident Brendan Scorpio, has been viewed more than 11 million times. In an interview with NPR, Scorpio, who attended the ceremony to support a friend in the incoming medical student class, estimated that roughly 70 of the 170 incoming students walked out, followed by some friends and family “in solidarity”.
Full report on the NPR site