MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia University School of Pharmacy will welcome 81 students into the Class of 2018 during the School’s White Coat Ceremony at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown.
The presentation of white coats is symbolic as it signifies to the students that they are not only entering the study of the profession of pharmacy but that they are also entering a commitment to be future healthcare professionals and will develop, deliver, and monitor medications in an effort to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life of their patients.
Elements of the ceremony include speeches by administration and alumni; signing of the WVU School of Pharmacy Honor Code; presentation and donning of white coats; and the recitation of the Pledge of Professionalism.
Dean Patricia A. Chase, Ph.D., will begin the program with welcoming the Class of 2018. Greetings will also be given from the WVU School of Pharmacy Alumni Association co-presidents William H. Riffee, Ph.D., and Judy Riffee, B. Pharm. Students will be presented their white coats by School of Pharmacy faculty members Paul Lockman, Ph.D., the Douglas D. Glover Chair of the WVU Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; S. Suresh Madhavan, Ph.D., professor and chair of the WVU Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy; and Elizabeth J. Scharman, Pharm.D., professor in the WVU Department of Clinical Pharmacy and director of the West Virginia Poison Center.
The Pledge of Professionalism will be led by the WVU School of Pharmacy Class of 2018 adviser, Gina M. Baugh, Pharm.D., clinical associate professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy.
