Class of 2016 White Coat Ceremony

School of Pharmacy welcomes 77 new students

by Stephen Vodhanel, PhD

Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy welcomes 77 new students with the meaningful tradition of the White Coat Ceremony. The White Coat Ceremony recognizes the professionalism required in the field of pharmacy, and the School of Pharmacy wants the new students to appreciate the symbol of whole person clinical care that it brings.

The ceremony, which presents all first-year professional pharmacy students with a white lab coat embroidered with their name, is similar to the one given to medical students and other health professionals. The pharmacy custom started in 1995 at the University of Kentucky, and has been a tradition at Loma Linda University since the first class in 2002.

As a student of pharmacy, professionalism means to practice with excellence and accountability, and to always act with respect, honor, and integrity. During the ceremony the students recite the Pharmacy Professionalism Pledge in which they commit to the covenant between health professionals and a society that entrusts those professionals with their care. The students will wear a white coat representing their commitment to whole person care and service.

Photo: LLUSP 2016 students celebrating their white coats.