Class of 2007.
Sixty-six Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) students, who will enter Touro School of Pharmacy this fall–the first new pharmacy program in New York City in 68 years–will receive their official white coats at a special ceremony on Thursday, September 25, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard @ 135th Street, Manhattan.
The white coat ceremony is a tradition in pharmacy schools and marks the entry of the students into a Doctor of Pharmacy program.
Dr. Bernard Lander, the founder and President of Touro College will address students, their families and guests; welcoming remarks will be made by Dr. Stuart Feldman, dean of the pharmacy college. About 300 guests are expected to attend.
· According to Dean Stuart Feldman, there is a compelling need to increase the number of traditionally underrepresented populations in pharmacy programs, which will ultimately lead to greater representation in the profession and a more diverse workforce. According to a 2000 report from The Office of Minority Health Resource Center, just 4.1 % of pharmacists were African-American and 5.1 % were Hispanic;
· The Touro College of Pharmacy’s four-year curriculum stresses community engagement, an emphasis on public health, and attention to the pharmacists’ responsibility in caring for diverse populations;
· The College is opening at a time when the nation is facing a shortage of pharmacists. According to the Aggregate Demand Index, New York shows a moderate demand with difficulty filling open positions;
· Currently there are six colleges of pharmacy in New York state. The Touro College of Pharmacy will be the only pharmacy program in Manhattan. According to Feldman, there are only two other pharmacy programs in the New York metropolitan area, one in Queens and the other in Brooklyn.
DATE: Thursday, September 25, 2008
TIME: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
PLACE: Langston Hughes Auditorium
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Posted on September 23, 2008 by D. Bell