Photo Journey: White Coat Ceremony 2024

Celebrate this milestone for the class of 2025 with photos from the March 2nd White Coat Ceremony

Story by Ryan McDaniel | Photos by Danny Alexander & Ryan McDaniel | Published March 12, 2024

Each year, third-year students, along with their families and friends, pack into Memorial Hall to mark students’ transition from classroom and lab training to the clinical and experiential practice of their fourth-year rotations. This year was the Class of 2025’s turn! Join us in congratulating the class and relive some of the special moments from the 2024 White Coat Ceremony through pictures and video.

The Class of 2025 chose Jo Ellen Rodgers, PharmD, Professor and Vice Chair of Professional Education and Practice, Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics (DPET) as the keynote speaker at this year’s White Coat Ceremony. Jo Ellen counseled the students to keep patients central to all that they do.

“You have been tasked with not only mastering the intricacies of pharmaceutical science but also with understanding the unique needs and concerns of those who seek your care,” she says. “As you embark on this noble path, you commit yourselves to a lifetime of serving others, whether it be individual patients within local communities or diverse populations across our nation and beyond.”

A graduate of the School’s PharmD program herself, Jo Ellen related her personal experiences in transitioning fully into patient care settings. She offered a few useful tips: “First, stash a granola bar in your coat pocket everyday. Second, on day one of rotation, familiarize yourself with the location of the bathrooms,” she jokes, but also advises, “Third, be curious and inquire relentlessly. Fourth, embrace continuous learning—researching every ailment and medication entrusted to your care. Fifth, in addition to enriching your own understanding, share knowledge generously with patients, colleagues, and even your preceptor.”

Jo Ellen concluded with a reminder of the strength of support found at the School:  “As you progress in your journey, know that you carry with you the support of your professors and mentors and the camaraderie of your fellow students. Together, we are part of a community bound by a shared commitment to excellence and service.”