New group of 160 students welcomed to the School of Pharmacy

Annual White Coat Ceremony provides traditional welcome to the pharmacy profession

By Ed Fishel
September 14, 2009

On September 4, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy welcomed 160 members of the Class of 2013 to the School and the pharmacy profession at its annual White Coat Ceremony for first year students.

During the ceremony, students were called to the stage individually and presented with the traditional white coat of the health care field. Schools across the country this fall will present white coats to future physicians, dentists, physical therapists, veterinarians and pharmacists. The coat represents the students’ past and current leadership endeavors and achievements and their commitment to provide the best pharmaceutical care to their future patients.

Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, told the students, “We come together today to celebrate the start of your journey as student pharmacists. As you sit here I’m sure it is hard for you to envision that in four, and I’m sure it will be four very short, years, you will be walking across another stage with your doctorate of pharmacy degree. That degree will allow you to participate and practice in one of the most rewarding professions in health care today.”

She said “it is really no surprise” that the job of the pharmacist in 2013 will be much different and more complex because of an increase of the number of senior citizens by about 75 percent by 2020, seniors who will be taking drugs that are increasingly more complex.

Eddington told the students that the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has been a leader in focusing the profession on the field of chronic disease management and many other new trends. “You have been selected by and you have chosen to attend a top ten school of pharmacy,” she added.

Guest speaker Stephen Wienner, BSP, owner of Mt. Vernon Pharmacy in Baltimore and a 1991 graduate of the School, said the White Coat Ceremony “symbolizes the trust that your patients have in you and your responsibility to uphold that trust.”

He said that in addition to the option of opening a pharmacy as he did, “there are opportunities in patient counseling for pharmacists that there have never been before.”

He said that the new federal drug prescription program, Medicare Part D, pays pharmacists to counsel patients. He “would jump at the chance to have a new graduate do all the pharmacist counseling at his store.”

He added that as a pharmacist “you will never starve” and that the recession has had little effect on slowing the demand for pharmacist services.

Placed in the pocket of each white coat was a message from a School of Pharmacy alumnus. Rai Cary, PharmD, a 2008 graduate, wrote: “Take a moment to reflect on where you have been. You have been selected from hundreds of applicants to join the ranks of a top pharmacy school. Now you begin your path to becoming a uniquely qualified member of the pharmacy community. Take pride in all that you do; you have earned your place in this great school. Be involved as much as you can. Pharmacy will provide you with unlimited opportunities, take advantage of it. Congratulations, you are on your way.”

Another alumnus, Mandy Kwong, PharmD, from the Class of 2001 who is manager of professional college relations at CVS Caremark and a member at large of the Alumni Association Executive Committee, wrote: “Congratulations on your acceptance into one of the best pharmacy schools in the country, correction, we ARE the best! You should be very proud of yourself, as you are about to join one of the most trusted professions of all time. I wish you the best of luck over the next four years. It may seem like a long time away, and there will be a lot of late night studies, but it will all be worth it! You will not only get a great education, but will also develop friendships that will last a life time. Remember to always do your best, and never stop learning!”

After receiving their coats, the students read the pharmacy pledge of professionalism.

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