Pharmacy college kicks off year with white coat ceremony, Meharry CEO

The Lipscomb College of Pharmacy began its second year of classes with the traditional White Coat Ceremony on Friday, Aug. 14.

 

Seventy-five new pharmacy students in the Class of 2013 and two transfers into the class of 2012 walked across the stage to receive their first pharmacists’ coats. The ceremony was sponsored by Wal-Mart, and Meharry Medical College CEO Wayne Riley spoke to the students and their families about the meaning of professionalism.

 

“Something magical happens when you put on that white coat,” said Riley, who has an M.D. from Morehouse School of Medicine. “From then on, you will feel different about your life.

 

“You have a higher responsibility to serve others with this God-given gift that will be imparted upon you in the next four years.”

 

In addition, pharmacy students may find that their new coats bring a barrage of questions from friends and family about medications, Riley joked. But that’s all part of being a pharmacy professional, he said.

 

“We have a higher standard of performance for ourselves than for others,” he said.

 

Wayne Mitchell, Wal-Mart regional manager of talent services and campus relations, said he and his company are proud to sponsor Lipscomb’s White Coat Ceremony because the event and Lipscomb’s pharmacy program overall fall in line with Wal-Mart’s core values: respect for the individual, striving for excellence and service to customers.

 

Lipscomb University announced in September 2006 it would create the first pharmacy college in Middle Tennessee and the third pharmacy college in the state. Davis, former assistant dean for Middle Tennessee at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, was appointed dean of Lipscomb’s college in January 2007. 

 

Lipscomb has hired 30faculty and staff, has signed more than 50educational affiliation agreements with health care facilities, pharmacies and hospitals, and created joint faculty appointments with Vanderbilt University.

 

Applications for Lipscomb’s College of Pharmacy grew from more than 200 for the 2008-09 school year to almost 900 for the 2009-10 school year.