Nitschke Auditorium was filled with the family and friends of 135 incoming students last Thursday as The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences held its annual White Coat Ceremony, a moment that marks each student’s formal entry into the professional phase of their education.
This year’s class carries some notable numbers. The 96 incoming Pharm.D. students represent the largest professional pharmacy class in five years, with enrollment growing steadily. The 39 Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences students include the college’s largest Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design class in five years and the largest Drug Discovery and Design class since the program launched.
Incoming Pharm.D. student Katherine Eaton receives her white coat on Thursday as the UToledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences held its annual White Coat Ceremony.
“Each year, the White Coat Ceremony is a special moment, but this year is especially exciting as we welcome such a strong and talented incoming class who already demonstrate the promise to become outstanding pharmacists and science leaders in our profession,” said Dr. Pam Heaton, dean of the UToledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
For Bilal Abdelhamid, a health science graduate of Cleveland State University, the decision to choose UToledo came down to two things: size of the program and price tag.
“There was an amazing number of people in the program, and I believe it was the most affordable in the Midwest when I was applying; it wasn’t a hard decision to make,” Abdelhamid said.
Katherine Eaton, a returning UToledo student, already knows what it means to manage medications, so her life experience pointed her toward pharmacy long before she set foot in a classroom.
“I’m a Type 1 diabetic, so I’ve managed my own medications my whole life, that’s what led me on this path,” Eaton said. “It’s really surreal that everything we have been working for over the past two to four years is finally starting tonight.”
Cameron Schmitt of Port Clinton was originally committed to a different pharmacy program in Ohio. Then a late campus visit changed her mind. Her mother had gone through UToledo’s pharmacy program, and after seeing the campus for herself, Schmitt made the switch.
“I love the campus and the city is amazing,” Schmitt said. “It felt like a very established program. I’ve heard so many good things about it.”
For Adisyn Kish of Maumee, the path to UToledo started in high school while shadowing a pharmacist who was a UToledo graduate. The experience planted a seed that grew into a commitment.
“All of the faculty were so welcoming and inviting, same with all of the students,” Kish said. “I love it here.”
The strong enrollment reflects a field with equally strong career prospects. UToledo Pharm.D. graduates hold a 98% job placement rate within three months of graduation and residency outcomes that consistently exceed national averages.
Incoming Pharm.. students, from left, Bilal Abdelhamid, Katherine Eaton, Cameron Schmitt, Jeanine El Khechen, Elizabeth Hannah and Adisyn Kish after receiving their white coats.
Dr. Pam Heaton, dean of the UToledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, left and incoming Pharm.D. student Adisyn Kish.
