White coat ceremony inspires new class of pharmacy students
Paul White of Tupelo receives his white coat at an Aug. 14 ceremony.
A
record 120 students are enrolled this fall in the first professional year (PY1) of the University of Mississippi's professional pharmacy program, and 115 of them received white coats during an Aug. 14 ceremony.
The ceremony, a decade-old School of Pharmacy tradition, marked completion of the new students' pre-pharmacy curriculum and their entry into the school's professional program.
"The white coat is the universal symbol of those who work in the health-related professions," said David D. Allen, the school's dean. "Our annual white coat ceremony is a way of formally recognizing and fostering students' commitment to professionalism."
The number of PY1 students (120) enrolled this fall is up by six students over last fall and by 41 students over fall 2011. As a group, the entering PY1 students have a higher average GPA and PCAT score than those entering last fall.
"This entire group of students is exceptionally talented and intellectually accomplished," Allen said. "It is an honor for me and our faculty to work with them."
When added to the number of students returning for their second, third and fourth years of the professional program, the 120 PY1 students push the pharmacy program's and the school's total enrollment to an all-time high. Neither UM nor pharmacy school administrators are surprised by the rise in numbers.
"At the University of Mississippi, we are extremely proud of our School of Pharmacy," said Provost Morris Stocks, while delivering the ceremony's keynote address. "The school is not only recognized as a truly outstanding one within the confines of our university, it is also recognized nationally for its achievements and for the high quality of professional education it provides to our students."
During his address, Stocks told the students that they are "privileged to be a part of an academic institution where change, initiative, leadership and passion for service are encouraged."
Nearly 100 percent of UM's Doctor of Pharmacy graduates pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination on their first attempt, and the school has been repeatedly recognized for the amount of external funding it secures for research, education and service projects.
"This is a great accomplishment for the school's faculty and students, and it's a testament to the format and content of its curriculum and admissions procedures," said David F. Gregory, the school's new associate dean for academic affairs.
The school's faculty members conduct internationally competitive research, which impacts the health and lives of residents of Mississippi and beyond, and enables them to share emerging scholarship with students, Gregory said. Plus, the school's life-changing work in Delta communities has won numerous national awards, including one for "transformative" community service.
As president-elect of the Mississippi Pharmacists Association and president of the pharmacy school's alumni chapter board of directors, Jillian Foster, Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi's director of pharmacy, led the students in taking the Pledge of Professionalism. Leigh Ann Ross, the school's associate dean for clinical affairs, presented each student with a copy of the pledge and a copy of the book The Good Pharmacist.
Students donned their white coats with the help of Dean Allen and Christine Hayden of Birmingham, Ala., president-elect of the pharmacy student body. Before receiving their white coats, pledges and books, the students were told by Hayden that although they come from different places, backgrounds, faiths and cultures, they are united in their decision to embark on pursuing one of the most trusted and respected professions.
"While we are all different, while we are all unique, the symbol of our profession and our unity is this white coat," Hayden said. "Wear it with humility, wear it with honor, stay true to our profession, and stay true to our oath."
During the ceremony, Stocks asked the students to do all they can to be worthy of the trust their patients place in them, and Allen asked the students to always put their patients first and to make their patients' health outcomes and quality of life central to every one of their interactions with them.
