Pharmacy students from the class of 2013 are joined by College of Pharmacy faculty members after taking the "Oath of a Pharmacist." A "White Coat Ceremony" was held by The University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy on Saturday October 1, 2009 at the UHH Performing Arts Center.
The White Coat Ceremony signifies the rite of passage for students in the health professions to affirm their commitment to the values of their profession, including the professionalism, respect, integrity and caring. More specifically, it is the first time these students have recited the "Oath of a Pharmacist" in front of their peers, their professors, the community and their families as they publicly declare their intent to be a compassionate and respectable health care professional.
Training in pharmacy has grown through the years and changes in curriculum have students interacting with the public at a much earlier point in their careers. For this reason, the White Coat Ceremony which had been conducted in the second or third year is now held in the first academic semester.
"The benefit of including a pharmacist as a integral part of a health care team is to insure that the medication being prescribed will interact correctly and result in the desired outcome" said Mark. "By training pharmacist on the Big Island, we will increase the likelihood of pharmacists living and working in Hawaii and increasing the level of care available to residents."
