White Coat Ceremony 2004: Class of 2008 Declares Its Commitment to Pharmacy’s Highest Standards
Dean Frank Ascione congratulates P-1
student, Cheryl Bauzon, after donning her white coat
for the first time. The occasion: the College’s Second Annual White Coat Ceremony, held Oct. 20 at the Michigan League.
“The White Coat Ceremony is an induction into the profession of pharmacy, and into our College’s own traditions of professional excellence,” noted Dean Frank J. Ascione, BSPharm’69, PharmD’73. “When you put on the white coat, you are acknowledging, before the world, that you accept the responsibilities that accompany the privileges of being a pharmacist.”
That theme was continued by keynote speaker Rear Admiral Richard M. Church, BSPharm’70, PharmD’71, chief information officer with the Indian Health Service (HIS), and director of HIS’s Office of Public Health.
He congratulated the Class of 2008 on its wise choice
of a profession, and College.
“The white coat is a symbol that not only outwardly proclaims
your entrance into the pharmacy profession, but one that also reflects
your inward commitment to serving others in the proud tradition of the
pharmacists who have preceded you,” Church said. “The white
coat also symbolizes your responsibility for the trust and confidence
placed in you by your patients and your peers. Today’s ceremony
is both a fitting and auspicious mile marker on your journey to becoming
not only a pharmacist, but a Michigan pharmacist.”
Church exhorted the Class of 2008 “to build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills … guided by your heart. I am confident that whether you rock the world with a great discovery, or whether you simply serve one patient at a time to the very best of your ability, the Class of 2008 will make a difference in this world.”
