August 20, 2024
AUBURN, Alabama - The Harrison College of Pharmacy’s Class of 2028 officially joined the Auburn Pharmacy Family on Friday, August 16. Family and friends joined the incoming pharmacy students at the 2024 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.
“Congratulations to the Class of 2028 for reaching this momentous occasion in their academic career. As they take this next step through our Practice Ready Curriculum, our students will receive an outstanding education and training to provide patient-centered care in any setting,” said Dr. Leigh Ann Ross, Dean of the Harrison College of Pharmacy. “Along with their education, we are also committed to developing each of them as the leaders of tomorrow, capable of navigating changes in health care and being agents of positive change in the profession.”
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.
The students arrived on Monday, August 12, 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 2028 is made up of 142 students, with 125 on the Auburn campus and 17 on the Mobile campus. The class is made up of students from 11 different states, including Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas, as well as two from South Korea.
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Auburn University's Harrison College of Pharmacy is ranked among the top 20 percent of all colleges of pharmacy 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 and a bachelor’s in drug and biopharmaceutical 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.