August 14, 2023
AUBURN, Alabama – The Harrison College of Pharmacy’s Class of 2027 officially joined the Auburn Pharmacy Family on Friday, August 11. Family and friends joined the incoming pharmacy students at the 2023 White Coat Ceremony, which took place at the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center.
The White Coat Ceremony, one of the most anticipated milestones in a pharmacist’s path, signified the end of orientation week and the beginning of the four-year journey of pharmacy school. The white coat serves as a universal symbol of the health care professions. Receiving the symbolic white coat is a rite of passage for student pharmacists that encourages professionalism and empathy in the practice of pharmacy.
An important part of the White Coat ceremony included the recitation of an oath of commitment that students make to the pharmacy profession and to the health of patients they will serve. In reciting this oath, students publicly acknowledge their willingness to meet the professional expectations established by the pharmacy community.
The Harrison College of Pharmacy is grateful to McKesson, a leading health care company for wholesale medical supplies and equipment, pharmaceutical distribution and health care technology solutions, for its support of the White Coat Ceremony.
“It was an honor to officially welcome the Class of 2027 to the profession of pharmacy through the White Coat Ceremony,” said Dr. Leigh Ann Ross, Dean of the Harrison College of Pharmacy. “Receiving the white coat marks a significant milestone for students, symbolizing the beginning of their journey to becoming pharmacists and their commitment to improving the lives of the patients they will serve,” said Ross. “We are thrilled to celebrate this special time with the newest members of our Auburn HCOP family."
The students arrived on Monday, August 7, and spent the week in orientation. Each day of orientation included a central theme, such as teamwork, communication, advocacy, self-assessment and mentoring. Students learned how each of these themes applied to their role as a pharmacist and their relationship with their patients.
The Class of 2027 is made up of 88 students, with 74 on the Auburn campus and 14 on the Mobile campus. The group brings a diverse background to HCOP as 20 members of the class are underrepresented minorities. Additionally, the class is made up of students from 10 different states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Michigan, Texas, Missouri, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as four foreign countries.
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Auburn University’s Harrison College of Pharmacy is ranked among the top 25 percent of all pharmacy programs in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the College offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.) while also offering a master’s in pharmaceutical sciences. The College's commitment to world-class scholarship and interdisciplinary research speaks to Auburn's overarching Carnegie R1 designation that places Auburn among the top 100 doctoral research universities in the nation. For more information about the College, please call 334.844.8348 or visit http://pharmacy.auburn.edu.