Class of 2019
(photo courtesy of Jessica Fern Facette Photography)
For University of Alberta pharmacy students, receiving their first white coat is a symbol of officially joining the profession. The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences White Coat Ceremony, held Jan. 21 at the Myer Horowitz Theatre, welcomed 131 student pharmacists.
Dean James Kehrer began the ceremony by sharing some history with the first-year students and their guests.
"The University of Alberta's initial pharmacy students came to Edmonton in 1914. The original curriculum required students to be at least 14 years of age, the program of study was two years long and tuition was $50 per year," Kehrer said.
Remarking on how far pharmacy in Alberta has come, Kehrer reminded the students that "the white coat is an outward and visible symbol of an inward and personal commitment."
"The clothes don't really make the person," said Kehrer. "It is the adherence to a code of honour, integrity and service that marks the true professional."
For first-year pharmacy student and Class of 2019 representative Douglas Lam, the ceremony was a wonderful experience.
"The short white coats symbolize our formal acceptance into the pharmacy profession," said Lam. "By donning our white coats, we declare our commitment to learning for the next four years with the ultimate goal of becoming an excellent pharmacist-one who advocates for pharmacy and practises patient-centred care."
Also offering words of wisdom to the students was guest speaker and Alberta Pharmacists' Association president Jimy Mathews, BSc Pharm '96.
"This province has the greatest scope of practice in North America, and you are here to become the best pharmacists this faculty has to offer," said Mathews. "As you face life's challenges head-on and reap the rewards, remember to follow your passion, stay true to yourself and never follow someone else's path."
The ceremony also reminded students of the high standards of their chosen profession, with the recitation of the Pledge of Professionalism, led by current Alberta Pharmacy Students' Association president and third-year pharmacy student Helen Marin, and the Alberta College of Pharmacists Code of Ethics, led by ACP registrar Greg Eberhart, BSc Pharm '79.
Lam noted that, while reciting the pledge and the code were a special part of the ceremony, he also "loved seeing my classmates talking to each other and taking pictures, as we will be like a family for the next four years and beyond."