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When do P1s get our white coats??
Started by pharmdoc2012
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depends on the school... some schools do it before you even start classes (i.e. in orientation). We started classes in early June and our white coat ceremony is Dec 5th. However, all I care about now.... is not being able to sleep the night before our first exam of the quarter- aarrrggghhhh!
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I agree, it depends on the school. We got ours about three or four weeks into the first semester and we didn't really wear them until we had an off campus visit to a nursing home to interview residents so we could put together a SOAP note. We will be doing random off campus activities throughout the three didactic years that will require us to wear it, like medication brown-bags.
How proud did you guys feel upon receiving your white coats?
In my opinion, the white coat only serves to show commitment of the aspiring student. As future pharmacy students, it will remind you of the hard work that led to it and further reinforce to your patients/customers that you are indeed part of team that may have helped save a life. At PBA, the students wear their white coats to class everyday. Your name is sewn on the coat with the pharmacy logo (see my avatar). In addition, a badge with your picture must be worn. My reasons for getting into pharmacy is to truly make a difference. I will not wear my coat lightly!
Ideally, the white coat, like you have well said, is a mark of committment and dedication on behalf of the student. Unfortunately, according to critics of white coat ceremonies, I've read that many of them believe the white coat ceremony renders nothing but a sense of self-entitlement and feelings of superiority among students. In other words, critics feel WCCs emphasize individual achievement, prestige, and status on the student much more than they do on the emerging patient responsibility. I believe this might be true to an extent, but who knows.
The ceremony gives a fresh impetus of the overwhelming responsibility conferred upon you during orientation week. The healthcare field is serious work. As future practitioners, a white coat is not necessary to remind you of this, however it is a symbol of a crowning achievement in your life. And your parents and friends will be proud. Those who wear it as superior being, it's unfortunate. Someone's lives will depend on our knowledge. As interns, the coat may encourage patient trust and inspire confidence while aware of the responsibilities. They wear it! (click on picture to enlarge) Why not be proud of your achievements as well.
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we get ours right away....after our first week of orientation/school
To be honest, I didn't feel much after my school's white coat ceremony in early September. I have nothing against the ceremony, I just feel that I have a lot to prove and accomplish before that white coat actually means something. The coat will mean more after commencement.
The coat was a nice symbol for getting into pharmacy school. Also, I suppose that ceremonies and formal events rarely excite me due to my laid-back nature. I didn't even attend my commencement after getting my B.S.
school logo and name embroidered onto the smock (some do, some don't).
To me its no biggy.
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+1. Didn't go to graduation for my BS and this will be way more exciting for other people than it will be for me...however, it's cool to be a real pharmacy student.
"I'm a big boy now!" Sorry had to bring up the diaper commercial lol!
We didn't do the white coat ceremony thing until we finished the third year and were about to go into rotations. We were given white lab coats on an idle class the first week of the P1 semester.
I was just glad that the lame ceremony was finally over. I remember sitting there thinking, "I could be playing NCAA on Xbox Live right now." The facade of prestige you currently perceive of pharmacy school slowly deteriorates over time....and that's no lie. The longer you're there, the more annoying the pretentiousness gets. You smack yourself on the forehead and think to yourself, "GREEEEAT, another ceremony...yee freakin haw."
I hate the student lab coats anyway. I have a naturally large-circumferenced chest and thickish quads due to my weird-ass genetics. I look like the goofiest SOB on the planet with a little coat that just goes down to my waist. The material they use in the things doesn't hug your frame very well and tended to fray outwards toward the bottom. It looked like I was a 5'11 dude with a dwarf's body shape wearing a one-piece white dress that was several sizes too short.
Now I get to wear the fancier mid-hamstring length coat and I don't have that problem anymore.
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the worst part for my class is that we have our ceremony in December (the beginning of the 3rd quarter). However, we need white coats now (1st and 2nd quarter) for a few classes. So we have to buy one now to use (that does not have a patch). Geeezz you would think our crazy expensive tuition would at least cover that!
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This is called the law of the diminishing returns. I spoke earlier with a pharmacy student who said the very same thing. According to the student, once you're in, you start to worry so much about keeping up as there is so much work and the stress of exams is overwhelming. The now P3 is a bit relieved to start rotations in the fall and "put all this knowledge to practice." Seriously, as I spoke with the spectacled P3, I sensed the pain of second year. Clearly, all the studying took its toll. No one wants to repeat a year. As we spoke, came a P1 whose expressions about anxiety said it all. It's as if the classroom was a war zone. I really don't want to be like that.
The hamstring white coat you wear, is it because you are on rotations or doing residency?
From this post, I figure the bulk of the subject matter is learned within the first two years of pharmacy school. The third and fourth years are dedicated to practicing what was learned in the previous two years. Am I correct? I'm pretty sure this is what the curriculum at my school is like. I'll be a P1 at Nova soon and I think I read that you learn almost everything you need to know the first two years and the last two years are more practice, though you do learn some additional lecture info in year three.
Actually, now that I recall, the P4 student tour guide at Nova told us just before our interviews that once you finish the first two years, you're almost done. I was really surprised.
At FAMU, my class was the last to receive our white coats at the end of our P3 year, prior to beginning rotations. Beginning in Fall 2008, all entering classes will receive their coats during their P1 year. I think the ceremony meant more to my class compared to the other classes because we knew we had actually earned those white coats. I think getting your white coat during orientation is pointless because you haven't proven yourself as a clinician. Hell whose to say that everyone who gets a white coat during orientation will graduate with a PharmD.
I don't know how other programs are, but at my school the first year is just getting everyone on the same page with biochem, A&P, pharmacy calculations, pharmaceutics, micro/immuno and some other important classes like ethics and drug info. The second and third years are where you learn all of your therapeutics and electives in the third year.
As far as the white coat ceremony, we get them our P1 year and as P2 and P3 students we have to attend in the audience as the new P1's get their white coats. I think that's to remind us of what it means to get our white coat.
It's 'cuz I'm a PharmD that walks around the hospital floor doing stuff....
Sort of, except that you're only half-way through with four years. 😉
I still remember my first year of pharmacy school very well. Very early on, I wanted to be a P3, because it means that I'm working on my last year of classroom work.
Well... I'll start my P3 year in August. If I could start school again tomorrow, I would.
Justification --> IPPE rotations
I was annoyed that I had to waste my time at the ceremony. It's a coat...it doesn't make you any more professional than what you are to start with. The only good thing about it is that it hides your wrinkled clothes so you can sleep in a few minutes longer instead of having to iron.
If that's Robin Williams in that picture...it's enough reason to burn the coat instead of wearing it.
When I saw his face, I knew someone was going to take a jab at him. People can be so predictable... 😴
Thus proving the insane amount of hatred that he manages to generate.
Texas A&M's school has its students complete an entire year of classes before the ceremony.
That's good enough for me! 🙂 But no offense, through your post you seem disenchanted with your career. Out of curiosity, any regrets for going PharmD?
You failed to mention the BILLION $$ man on the right... Larry Page. A man who happens to take pride in what he does. A scientist at heart who happens to be a co-founder of a multi billion dollar company. Do you take pride in being a PharmD? Coat aside, how do you represent?
Unfortunately, these people do exist in internet forums.
PBA has experientials as early as first semester. So I'm excited about the PharmD at PBA.
I didn't fail to mention him so much as fail to know who he is...not that I would have if I did as my intent was to take a jab at an overrated commedian. I'm not sure why you would offer these two as reasons to take pride in wearing a pharmacist's coat though, seeing as how neither are pharmacists (unless I've misidentified them which is quite possible.)
And no, I don't take pride in being a PharmD...it's not what defines me. Instead, I "represent" by being the best pharmacist I can be. Wearing a white coat does not change that.
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Imperial frog, my fellow SDN'er. If you reread my comment you'll see I did not insinuate that the coat defines you. I respect your opinion and I'll leave it at that. Thank you for your comment.
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Likewise I was not saying that the coat doesn't define me, rather that my being a pharmacist doesn't define me.
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