Born to Pharm: White Coat Ceremony

On September 23rd the UMKC School of Pharmacy held their white coat ceremony for the third-year students. This ceremony is viewed as a transition for the pharmacy student. My classmates and I are leaving behind our preclinical coursework and entering the years of clinical studies. We will have more interaction with patients in our future education requirements and are now officially viewed as a professional student.

You may be wondering why the white coat?

The white coat symbolizes the Pharm.D. student's pledge to the community that they are willing to uphold the commitment and responsibility of being a leader and health care provider. The student pledges their professionalism and agrees to develop as leaders who are committed to making a difference in the lives of their patients.

The ceremony lasted a little over an hour and included a guest speaker, Donald E. Letendre, who is the Dean and Professor at The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. After his speech the students lined up and received their white coats, which had the UMKC School of Pharmacy patch and a gold pin attached to it. At the closing of the ceremony my classmates and I recited the oath of a pharmacist. The oath is a follows:

I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow:

I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.

I will apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for my patients.

I will respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.

I will accept the lifelong obligation to improve my professional knowledge and competence.

I will hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession's moral, ethical, and legal conduct.

I will embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.

I will utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.

It was an awesome feeling to walk across the stage and put on the coat for the first time. The reality of becoming a pharmacist set in a little more as I recited the oath and let the words sink in. The ceremony gave my classmates and I a boost to our overall moral. The third year of school has left us feeling bogged down with classes and coursework. The ceremony provided us with a sense of accomplishment and achievement and allowed us to say, "We've made it this far, we can make it the rest of the way!"

The white coat ceremony was definitely a highlight in my pharmacy school career thus far, and I am truly blessed to have so many people who have supported me along the way. I had 19 people attend the ceremony and it was a great achievement to share with them.

After the ceremony there was a reception and I was able to get some photos with my family and classmates.