By
Katie Clark
Arizona Daily Wildcat
White lab coats presented to 57 pharmacy students at ceremony
Andrea Landgraf is ready to take what she has learned in her three years of pharmacy school and move on - and she has the outfit to prove it.
She, along with 56 other third-year Pharm.D candidates at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, received their white coats yesterday, a symbol of their embarkation into their future careers.
The event, held in the DuVal Auditorium at University Medical Center, was the first white-coat ceremony the school has ever had.
Students were presented with their coats by members of the faculty and then, in unison, made their pledge of professionalism as students of pharmacy.
"It signifies being able to move on, of actually being able to use what we have learned," Landgraf said with relief.
Beginning May 14, the students will begin their rotation through different areas of study for 50 weeks until commencement next year.
Landgraf will be heading to Nogales to begin her rotation. Students can be assigned to many different areas all over the country.
The areas range from acute care, which involves trauma medicine and looking through patients' charts to determine what kinds of medication they need, to psychiatric care, which involves determining the right medication for people with psychiatric disorders.
For the students, though, the biggest honor of receiving the coats was the realization of how far they have come.
"Not everyone makes it this far," said student Michelle Locklear. "Not everyone can have a white coat."
For others, the white coat represents the opportunity to narrow the scope of their career opportunities.
"There are so many career options," said Mahendra Patel, who organized the event. "I hope the rotations will clear things up for me."
Patel said he is also excited for the opportunity to finally make an impact in a field that he calls, "The best profession in the world."
"We are one of the most trusted professions in the world," he said earnestly. "I think I can enhance that."
The presentation of the coats also signified the end of classroom education and the beginning of practical experience.
"In a classroom, it was a real challenge," he says. "But the real world will be more of a challenge."
J. Lyle Bootman, dean of the college, said he is looking forward to seeing the impact the students will have on the profession.
Bootman also said he is impressed with the students for organizing the ceremony, which he said shows their leadership capabilities.
"They are dedicated to assisting and helping patients and consumers," he said confidently.
Bootman said that a major problem in the field is the misuse and misunderstanding of pharmaceuticals, but he is confident his students will make a contribution to alleviating the problem.
"These young folks have been spending several years learning how to improve the quality of life," he said. "We have the greatest group of student leaders."
