Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia College of Pharmacy welcomed 138 new doctoral students during its annual White Coat Ceremony at Hodgson Concert Hall in the UGA Performing Arts Center. Sponsored by The Kroger Company, the ceremony was highlighted with members of the Class of 2021 donning white laboratory coats, which they will wear throughout their four-year tenure at the college.
“These 138 men and women will make a mark on our college, their chosen profession and society as a whole,” said Svein Oie, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “They will spend the next four years working diligently to prepare for the provision of patient care in such settings as retail and independent drug stores, hospitals and health care facilities, research laboratories, government organizations and agencies and more. We are proud they have joined us at our college.”
The ceremony, which was attended by more than 750 students, family members, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters, featured remarks by Amanda McGahee Smith, the district patient care coordinator for the Atlanta division of The Kroger Company, and Andre’ Mackey, president of the College of Pharmacy Alumni Council and a pharmacist with CVS Pharmacy in Atlanta.
Members of the Class of 2021 are working toward a degree in a field which is recognized by the Gallup opinion poll as one of the most trusted professions in the U.S. The poll ranks pharmacy second in the category, only behind nursing.
About the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy: Founded in 1903, the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy provides quality education, research opportunities, experiential programs and service learning in order to advance the pharmacy profession, as well as pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. As the only public pharmacy program in the State of Georgia, the college offers a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD), along with several graduate programs and one undergraduate degree. For further information, see http://rx.uga.edu/.