Dr. SOEURN Visal
“Two weeks ago we began our new academic year, we attended our first white coat ceremony for incoming pharmacy students. So impressed were we by the event that we feel compelled almost duty bound to spread the word, for few outside of academia are likely to have heard of these ceremonies” said the representative students of PH21 and PH22.
The Faculty of Pharmacy at UP was delighted to host the White Coat Ceremony (WCC) to welcome new pharmacy students in mid-November. But what exactly IS a white coat ceremony? Everyone knows the white coats in question- they’ve been worn by doctors and scientists since the late 1880’s to protect skin and clothing. But the idea of the white lab coat, as used by physicians and doctors, was initially to distinguish themselves from those without academic credentials, snake oil salesmen, and homeopaths. These days, the white coat is synonymous with professionalism. The ceremony itself extended for all health sciences students.
For the faculty of pharmacy, this ceremony marks the beginning of their professional work with 106 students going through the tradition. We asked students how they felt and what this ceremony meant to them.
Chap Sopeavy: “For me, the white coat ceremony felt like a huge achievement in my life, even though it was only the sign of the beginning of the program. I feel that the white coat ceremony gave me a feeling of achievement in the sense that I finally made it, getting that much closer to fulfilling my dream.” John Sophearom: “It highlighted my purpose for entering the pharmacy school and provided me with more motivation to be a successful student pharmacist”. Hoeob Pengheang: “Taking place before the start of my pharmacy education, the White Coat Ceremony marked the day in which I accepted the obligations of the pharmacy profession and committed myself to honor, responsibility and respect. This ceremony emphasized the importance of excellence not only in the classroom, but also in the community to ensure quality patient care”. Yin Chhorvivann: “It felt like a dream comes true – ‘People will rely on me as a pharmacist, I can make a difference in people’s health life”
