84 School of Pharmacy Students Receive White Coat During Annual Ceremony

84 School of Pharmacy Students Receive White Coat During Annual Ceremony

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) proudly welcomed its newest class of student pharmacists into the profession during its annual White Coat Ceremony on September 12, 2025, at the Morris University Center.

Receiving the White Coat were 84 new pharmacy students who comprise the Class of 2029. These students began classes in August 2025 and will continue their training through a rigorous curriculum that combines classroom learning with hands-on clinical experiences, preparing them to serve as future leaders in pharmacy and health care.

The White Coat Ceremony is a symbolic rite of passage that marks the beginning of a student's journey into the pharmacy profession. Each student was presented with a white coat - the profession's signature symbol of trust, integrity, and patient care.

During the ceremony, Golden Peters, PharmD, BCPS, ('09), served as the keynote speaker and addressed the students, encouraging them to embrace the responsibilities of the profession and uphold the highest standards of care.

"The white coat is a responsibility. It signifies that you are now held to a higher standard, not just in your knowledge, but in your ethics, your decisions, and how you treat others. People will place their trust in you: with their questions, their fears, their health, their children, their parents, their lives. That trust is sacred. Never take it for granted." said Peters.

The student pharmacists were cheered on by faculty, family, and friends. The event underscored the school's commitment to preparing empathetic and highly skilled health care professionals.

"The White Coat Ceremony is a reminder that pharmacy is not only a science, but also a service to people and communities," said Mark Luer, PharmD, FCCP, Dean of the SOP. "We are proud of our students as they take this important step."

For more information about the SIUE School of Pharmacy visit siue.edu/pharmacy.

PHOTO: SIUE School of Pharmacy Class of 2029; keynote speaker and alumnus Golden Peters, PharmD, BCPS, ('09)