Walgreens Sponsors Pharmacy Students' White Coats

It's Not Just About the Coat

Every pharmacy student has their own unique reason for choosing the field.

Karli Ammons worked in a pharmacy and became fascinated by the pharmacist’s role in the community. Ikechukwu Achonye was inspired by his father, a pharmacist in their native country of Nigeria. Shakiba Shahabi was interested in the science of pharmacy and how medications interact with the body.

Despite their differences, all three of these first-year pharmacy students share one important milestone on their way to fulfilling their dreams: receiving their white coats. This year’s 157 incoming pharmacy students at TTUHSC campuses in Abilene, Amarillo and Dallas/Fort Worth have one more thing in common: an industry partner helping to sponsor their coats.

Each year, Walgreens donates $10,000 to help provide white coats and the ceremony in which the students receive them. Nhat Nguyen, Walgreens’ Dallas-area healthcare supervisor, says this is because of the invaluable relationship her company has with TTUHSC.

“You have a proven track record of developing leaders who are responsible for transforming community-focused pharmacy practice,” she said. “The relationship we have provides advanced providers who are accountable for meeting the needs of patients and society through managing medication therapy and optimizing health outcomes.”

From the outside, it might seem odd that a piece of clothing is so important, but for those receiving one, it’s not just about the coat.

It represents the trust patients put in the pharmacists who, sometimes literally, hold their lives in their hands, and the commitment pharmacists make to being worthy of that trust. As such a meaningful symbol, the white coats can help shape the students’ future careers.

“Receiving my white coat instilled a strong passion inside of me for clinical knowledge and a drive to serve my school and community,” Ammons said. “I know my classmates and I were relieved the day we anticipated for so long had finally come, and we knew we had finally reached the start of our professional career as pharmacy students.”

For Achonye — who spent his formative years in his father’s pharmacy in Nigeria then moved to the U.S. and majored in chemistry to follow in his footsteps — the moment was especially meaningful.

“I waited four years to walk up those stairs to receive my white coat, and I always looked forward to the experience of receiving it,” said Achonye, class president in Amarillo. “When I got cloaked, I had this feeling of accomplishment and reality. All those years of hard work and sacrifices culminated into this feeling of growth. Then it dawned on me that there is more to do, and that even better days are in sight.”

For the students, it was equally valuable that the coats were sponsored by a company filled with people living the career to which they aspire.
And for Nguyen, who has been in their shoes, the opportunity to be involved in the white coat ceremonies and impress upon future pharmacists the magnitude of their commitment is one she wouldn’t miss.

“On a really personal level, I remember participating,” Nguyen said. “It’s obviously a very momentous occasion, and, essentially, a rite of passage for every pharmacy student. For me, it signifies entry into the pharmacy profession and marks the beginning of a journey and commitment to patient care. Every single time we wear our white coat, we need to be reminded that what we do for the profession is purposeful — and we want our students to be able to carry on that torch, too.”