More than 100 students officially marked the start of their pharmacy career. 

Spirits were high as more than 100 Temple University School of Pharmacy students marked their first significant professional milestone by participating in the annual White Coat Ceremony.

The celebratory event held on Sept. 18 at the Temple Performing Arts Center highlighted the responsibility of pharmacists within healthcare.  

S. Suresh Madhavan, dean of Temple Pharmacy, addressed the evolving role of pharmacists and the white coat’s significance in his opening remarks.

“The white coat you will wear today is far more than a garment,” he told the Class of 2030. “It is a symbol of trust, integrity and service. Known as the cloak of compassion, it represents your pledge to put patients at the center of everything you do.”

He told the students that when they wear this coat, they carry the confidence of the public and expectations of the profession.

“It will remind you that you are called not simply to dispense medicines, but to listen, to guide, to heal and to serve with empathy and professionalism,” Madhavan continued.

The ceremony comes as Temple Pharmacy marks its 125th anniversary this year.

“Since our founding in 1901, generations of Temple pharmacists have cared for patients, strengthened communities, advanced science, built businesses, led organizations and helped shape the profession,” Madhavan said. “During this milestone year, you become the newest chapter in that remarkable history.” 

The students heard an uplifting message from keynote speaker John Colaizzi Jr., group vice president and head of enterprise pharmacy practice at Walgreens. He told the students that the white coat they are receiving represents trust, responsibility and a commitment to put patients first.

“Beginning today, you are becoming a part of a profession that has earned that trust over generations, and I truly believe there has never been a better time to become a pharmacist,” Colaizzi said.

He acknowledged that some people reading news headlines on social media occasionally question the pharmacy profession’s future.

“From where I sit, I see something completely different. I see opportunity and innovation,” Colaizzi stated. “I see a profession expanding its impact on patients every single day and I see the future of pharmacy sitting right here in this room.”  

He highlighted the importance of community pharmacies that dispense medications, advise patients on medication usage, and provide immunizations and health screenings.

“I believe that community pharmacy is undergoing one of the most important and exciting transformations in all of healthcare,” said Colaizzi, who has almost 30 years of experience in the profession. “Community pharmacists have become one of the most trusted and the most accessible healthcare professionals in America.”

Colaizzi’s role gives him the opportunity to visit Walgreens’ pharmacies and pharmacy teams across the country that are embedded within the communities they serve. He has interacted with pharmacists who comfort patients after natural disasters, mentor the next generation of practitioners, and assist patients who have autoimmune diseases with their medications.

“There is so much more happening inside today’s community pharmacies than people even realize, and I believe that many of you will help define what community pharmacy looks like in the decades to come,” he told the students.

The students also heard words of encouragement from pharmacy student Aisha Alkilani, president of the Class of 2027.  

“This ceremony isn’t celebrating the pharmacists you already are,” she said. “It’s celebrating the pharmacists you’re willing to work to become.”

During the ceremony, students were cloaked by members of Temple Pharmacy faculty, Board of Visitors and the Alumni Association, while their families cheered. Memorably, Marvin Samson, CST ’60, cloaked the first cohort of Samson Scholars. A scion of the pharmaceutical industry, Samson established the program earlier this year through his foundation to help alleviate financial burdens for first-year students.

After the event, students posed for pictures and reflected on the occasion.

For Shiv Patel, the process of officially receiving his white coat felt surreal.  

“I feel like I worked very hard for this moment,” said Patel, who completed his bachelor's degree requirements in two years, before applying to pharmacy school. 

“To think that two years ago, I was graduating from high school and now I’m getting my white coat. It’s a lot to take in right now.” 

The Bensalem, Pennsylvania, resident became interested in becoming a pharmacist after volunteering at his uncle’s pharmacy.

“I really fell in love with how he explained the medications to the patients and really built a tight-knit community,” Patel said.

Mujtaba Jaffer viewed wearing his white coat for the first time as the beginning of a journey.

“There’s a lot of different pathways to go into and I’m looking forward to exploring those pathways and building a future in pharmacy,” said the Allentown, Pennsylvania native.

“Pharmacy is the one career in health sciences that allows you to bridge business with medicine. You’re able to innovate more than any other career in healthcare and that is what lead me to this field.”

As Kylie Davis reflected on receiving her white coat, the excitement started setting in.

“I’m really excited about what my future is going to bring once I continue my pharmacy studies,” said Davis, who hails from Northeast Philadelphia.  “During my junior year as an undergrad, my grandmother had a few medical issues, and I saw how well she was treated by pharmacists in general and that got me interested in pursuing this.”