White Coat Ceremony officially welcomes first-year students to pharmacy profession CLASS OF 2020 URGED TO FOLLOW THEIR PASSION, CHALLENGE HEALTH CARE NORMS by
Bernie Poitras
Students were urged to challenge health care norms and forge their own path in the profession as they received their white coats, officially recognizing their entry into the pharmacy profession. A white coat reminds students of their responsibility towards others. Students representing the Class of 2020 were officially welcomed into the profession at the faculty’s annual White Coat Ceremony at the Myer Horowitz Theatre. One hundred and thirty-three students recited the Student Pledge of Professionalism and the Alberta College of Pharmacists Code of Ethics as they officially received their white laboratory coats to become student pharmacists. 10
The Mortar & Pestle: Spring 2017
The ceremony is an annual tradition celebrated across all pharmacy schools. A white coat reminds students of their responsibility towards others. More than 300 friends and family joined the students on Jan. 20 to celebrate the special day. Dean Dr. Neal Davies (B.Sc. Pharm ’91, PhD ‘96) challenged them to become better students, pharmacists and citizens by questioning existing health care norms. “As you prepare to enter into the profession, ask yourselves, as your choices and decisions can impact our nations health, ‘Are you satisfied with the current state of the health care system?’” says Davies. “Are you content with level of substance abuse such as the opioids crisis or the fact there is high instance of diabetes among our aboriginal population and a third of school age children are obese? Is it appropriate given our knowledge in this day and age that 25 per cent of Canadians still smoke cigarettes?”