On Friday, October 11, the Hughes Ballroom at the Gas South Convention Center was filled with family, friends, and faculty celebrating the PCOM Georgia Class of 2028. A combined 234 students from the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) programs received their white coats, marking a significant step in their healthcare careers.
The White Coat Ceremony is a longstanding tradition that symbolizes a physician's proficiency, integrity, responsibility, and compassion when diagnosing and treating patients and serves as a reminder for them to practice medicine with humanism and professionalism.
Pharmacy Class Chair Chassity Carrion expressed optimism for her fellow students. “I am filled with so much joy, pride, and excitement for you all,” she said. “I believe every one of us entered this field with purpose. Each of our unique experiences and perspectives brought us here today. The path ahead won’t be easy, but the challenges will teach us valuable lessons.”
Keynote speaker and PCOM Georgia alum Angie Amado, PharmD ‘18, CSP, encouraged students to embrace the journey, noting that setbacks are part of the process. “The ups and downs are all part of the story,” Dr. Amado said. “The hurdles and failures make the successes that much sweeter, so persevere.”
Andrea Mann, DO, FAAP, Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Osteopathic Medicine Program, offered advice to the DO students, reminding them that mistakes are inevitable. “Medicine, like life, is a field where the stakes are high and perfection is unattainable,” she said. “But every mistake will teach you more than a textbook ever could. It will shape you into the physician you are destined to become—compassionate, reflective, and wise.”
The ceremony marked the beginning of these students’ professional journeys, highlighting their readiness to meet the challenges ahead. With their white coats on, they are now prepared to enter the next phase of their education, committed to serving patients with care and dedication.
This year's ceremonies were also live streamed on YouTube:
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education with a storied 125-year history dedicated to the healthcare professions. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
Jamesia Harrison, MS
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Email: jamesiaha@pcom.edu
Office: 678-225-7532 | Cell: 470-572-7558
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