Cordovan, patent leather, hot pink, bright red, black, spiked, strappy and mesh. The shoes were as varied as the students who wore them, yet their white coats provided unity and a singularity of purpose.

Two PCOM Georgia White Coat ceremonies took place on Friday, October 21, at the Gas South Theatre. Close to 250 students crossed the stage to receive their white coats, a symbol of professionalism as they begin their journeys to becoming pharmacists and physicians.

At 10:30 a.m., the School of Pharmacy classes of 2025 and 2026 participated in the traditional ceremony as faculty members, family and friends applauded the students. Shawn Spencer, PhD, RPh, dean and chief academic officer of the PCOM School of Pharmacy, said, “Pharmacy holds a special place in our society. We are truly known as the medication experts. We are stewards of safe and effective medication use, and we are among the nation’s most trusted professions year after year.”

Charbel Aon, MS/ODL ‘21 (PharmD ’25), who represented the class of 2025 and is the first college graduate and future doctor in his family, said, “Today, we wear this white coat to symbolize our promise to be public servants to all people. Not only do we pledge to treat the person and not the disease, but we also vow to bear the social responsibilities of becoming a medical leader with cultural humility.”

Class of 2026 Chair Brandi Carter (PharmD ’26) likened the white coat to a “badge of honor.” She said, “As we receive our coats today, I hope we understand the responsibility we have to our community, ourselves and to each other.”

Recent graduate Ted Sukhdeo, PharmD ’22, who is a pharmacy resident, addressed the class. He likened the white coat ceremony to a marriage. “You are committing to care for one another through sickness and in health. You are committing to a lifetime of togetherness with continued learning. This is a promise for you to practice with the highest principles of morals, ethics and legal conduct.”

At 2:30 p.m., the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine class of 2026 were coated by their faculty members five at a time. Andrea Mann, DO, FAAP, dean and chief academic officer of the PCOM Georgia osteopathic medicine program, explained to the students and a theater full of their loved ones that the white coat is the “traditional symbol of a physician. It, along with our stethoscope and the iconic black bag, is our uniform. The white coat is a symbol of purity and hygiene.”

“However,” she added, “the white coat is merely an article of clothing. It is the doctor inside the coat that really matters.”

Barbara Joy Jones, DO ’14, a family medicine physician at The Healthy Woman primary care practice in Lawrenceville, Georgia, provided the keynote address. Reflecting on her time as a medical student at PCOM Georgia, she advised the students to pick themselves back up if they falter and to stop comparing themselves to their classmates. “Each person is on a unique journey,” she said. “We all study differently and we have our own paths.”

Madison Cohen, MS/Biomed ’21 (DO ’25), the 2025 class chair, remarked that medical school has taught her “there is nothing else in the world I would rather be doing. I have the privilege of waking up every morning and learning something new. I get to spend the rest of my life following my curiosity, searching for answers, and knowing that I am a part of making this world a better place.”

She said, “One thing that keeps you going, even when the costs seem to outweigh the benefits and you find yourself thinking ‘why am I doing this?’ You will look at your white coat and be reminded of all the people you are going to help. Because the white coat truly represents a selfless desire to help others.”

Following a group photo, the students recessed wearing their white coats and individual shoe choices into the loving arms of their family and friends where they celebrated their acceptance into noble professions.