Surrounded by families, friends, faculty, and university leaders, 60 students from the LAU School of Pharmacy stood ready on September 26, 2025, at the LAU Byblos campus to receive their white coats and formally enter the professional years of their pharmacy education. The event celebrated the students’ academic achievements and the values that will guide them as they enter the healthcare profession.

Congratulating the students on reaching this pivotal stage in their studies, LAU Provost George Nasr said: “This moment marks far more than a tradition; it is a celebration of your hard work and a symbolic passage from pre-pharmacy studies into the professional years of your journey.”

Provost Nasr went on to emphasize the responsibilities that come with the white coat. “You are now officially part of the healthcare community, not only as caregivers, but as contributors to science, clinical practice, and the advancement of human health,” he said. “This responsibility is a profound one. Please do not take it lightly.”

Before the students received their coats, Dean Naser Z. Alsharif addressed the class and those who had supported them along the way. Quoting Mother Teresa, he reminded the audience that “Some people come into our lives as lessons. Others come into our lives as blessings. Certainly, moms and dads are lessons and blessings.” At his invitation, parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends rose to their feet as the room erupted in applause—a recognition of the collective effort behind each student’s success.

Dr. Alsharif emphasized that his message reflected the collective heartfelt sentiments of the school’s faculty and staff, whose advice centered on four themes: Why is this day important? expectations for the students’ conduct, their responsibility and their leadership.

Among the messages, Clinical Assistant Professor Aline Bou Maroun reminded the students that the white coat was not a “mere garment” but “a call to uphold altruism, the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.” Pharmacy Student Affairs Officer Rana Shehab added, “As pre-pharmacy students, we have witnessed your quiet wins, late-night emails, frustrations, and bold dreams! You’ve earned this white coat. Make your story a success.”

On Integrity in pharmacy, associate professor Roy Kanbar stressed that it was “not a standard you adopt after graduation, it begins here and now, with every choice you make as a student and future professional.” Echoing this sentiment, Experiential Education Coordinator Mary Sili urged them to make a difference in the lives of people they serve, not only with their expertise but also with their honesty, compassion and inclusion.

Clinical Associate Professor Elsy Ramia underscored the responsibility the students held toward their patients by honoring their trust and putting their safety first. “Pause to double-check, and ensure the right patient receives the right medicine, in the right dose, at the right time, and in the right way,” she counseled.

Clinical Associate Professor Lamis Karaoui urged them to “step forward as agile leaders shaping the future of pharmacy.”

Dr. Alsharif ended by encouraging the students to stay positive and honor the values embodied in the simple act of donning the white coat.

Class representatives Isabella Linda Valerie Nader and Yasmina Al Jamal then took the stage to reflect on the experiences they shared with their peers.

“This white coat is more than fabric,” said Nader. “It carries the sacrifices we’ve made, the countless hours of study that tested our resilience and commitment, as well as the laughter we shared during long study nights and the friendships that lifted us every step of the way.”

She expressed her gratitude to their families, “especially our parents, the pillars of our success, thank you for your patience, encouragement, and for pretending to understand when we explained mechanisms of action at the dinner table.”

Al Jamal looked ahead to the demands of the profession. “Every patient we meet will be more than a prescription; they will be a story, a struggle, and a trust placed in our hands,” she said. “Up until now, we have studied and prepared, but the moment we put on this white coat, we take on something greater: a duty to use our knowledge for the benefit of others.”

Following the speeches, each student received their white coat from the faculty, a card with the values embodied in the messages of the faculty and staff, and signed the Pledge of Professionalism.

A musical interlude on the piano by P1 student Sabine Abou-Chedid then filled the auditorium before the class, led by Clinical Assistant Professor Rafah Aboulhosn, rose to recite the Oath of a Pharmacist—a collective promise to honor their responsibilities as healthcare professionals and uphold the highest standards of patient care.