In groups of seven at a time, 76 pharmacy doctoral candidates from the Class of 2027 were cloaked by ACPHS faculty members in white coats on Friday, Sept. 29, sending cheers and applause throughout the Albert M. White gymnasium 11 times, as the symbols of professionalism were placed over their shoulders.
The annual white coat ceremony symbolizes a commitment by students to become competent and caring professionals. The cloaking is performed by faculty members of the College, who have the responsibility of guiding students on their path to becoming pharmacists.
The ceremony marks an important milestone in advancing toward a pharmacy career. Students and their families filed out of the gym to the campus green in a celebratory mood after the event, even as they understood four more years of work, including experiential and clinical training, lie ahead for student to earn their doctorates.
“Amazing, I love it!” said Tyler Buffalino of East Islip, Long Island, said of his white coat. “It symbolizes the start of my journey, so I’m excited.”
“It’s all paid off, I’m here!” remarked PharmD candidate Jaiah Barrett of Stratford, Conn., who added that wearing the coat felt “surreal.”
The cloaking takes place in what is the first year of professional studies (the P1 year), following the completion of undergraduate requirements. For students who entered the ACPHS pharmacy doctoral (PharmD) program directly after high school, the ceremony takes place in their third year at the College. For transfer students who arrive with bachelor’s degrees, the P1 year may be their first on campus.
Faculty and staff mentors who spoke at the ceremony noted the importance of the symbol, marking a commitment to professionalism and health care excellence that the students would forever carry with them.
Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Anuja Ghorpade compared the white coat to the Cloak of Invisibility familiar to students from the Harry Potter books and movies of their youth. Even when students do not physically have it on them, Dr. Ghorpade said, the white coat would be part of their professional identities going forward.
“It may be invisible,” Dr. Ghorpade said, “but it’s always on you.”
Associate Dean for Pharmacy Dr. Joseph Carreno echoed her sentiment, describing the receipt of the white coat as a major life event comparable to parenthood: once the coat was donned, the person wearing it would be forever changed.
“In today’s ceremony, you are crossing a threshold through which you cannot return,” Dr. Carreno said.
Lieutenant Commander Dr. Gavin O’Brien ’17, a health scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, gave the fledgling professionals advice for their early careers. Using examples from his own career, he urged them to recognize ther need for assistance and to ask more experienced professionals for help. Noting a poor test grade of his own at ACPHS, he urged the Class of 2027 to take on challenges with a growth mindset, being ever willing to learn.
“The attitude you bring to your life matters to an unbelievable degree,” Dr. O’Brien said.
