OMU pharmacy students take first step into profession with white coat ceremony

First-year students of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) took their first steps into the profession with a “White Coat Ceremony.” At the ceremony, which was held with strong participation, 42 students wore their white coats.

The ceremony, held at the Conference Hall of the Bafra Faculty of Tourism, was attended by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy Prof. Dr. Yavuz Kürşad Daş, Samsun Chamber of Pharmacists President Pharmacist Onur Ferhat Karacan, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy Prof. Dr. Sezin Yücelik, Bafra State Hospital Chief Physician Specialist Dr. Alaiddin Domaç, Bafra State Hospital Deputy Chief Physician Specialist Dr. Özgür Bekar, Bafra State Hospital Chief Pharmacist Pharmacist Yalçın Can, Botafarma Health Products Co-Founder Pharmacist İsa Melek, academics, and many students.

Vice Rector Kurnaz: “We are holding the white coat ceremony of our Faculty of Pharmacy for the first time”

In his opening speech, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz said, “I am very happy to be holding the white coat ceremony of our Faculty of Pharmacy for the first time on our Bafra Campus. Dear students, you were experiencing the excitement of exams around this time last year, and today you are here by receiving the reward of your efforts. Perhaps many of you chose Samsun and Bafra for the first time. However, I can say with peace of mind that you are in the right place. Our Bafra Campus offers our students a very beautiful educational environment with its structure intertwined with nature. We are working with the goal of making our university one of the best universities in Türkiye. We can achieve this only together with our academic staff, administrative personnel, and most importantly, you, our students. Your suggestions, criticisms, and contributions are extremely valuable to us.”

Dean Daş: “We are moving our ranking among state universities higher every year”

Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy Prof. Dr. Yavuz Kürşad Daş said, “We have significantly improved the applied education infrastructure of our Faculty of Pharmacy with new devices, consumables, and laboratory arrangements. I sincerely thank all our academics who worked day and night and made great efforts during this process. We worked with great effort throughout the summer, and today we have begun to reap the fruits of this. We are moving our ranking among state universities higher every year. While we were ranked 15th in the first years, today we have risen to 11th place. Our goal is to be among the top 10. We also continue to strengthen our academic staff.”

Chamber of Pharmacists President Karacan: “You are taking the first step of a journey you will carry with honor throughout your life”

Samsun 6th Region Chamber of Pharmacists President Pharmacist Onur Ferhat Karacan said, “Today is a very meaningful and special day for us. Today is the day when you will begin to feel the responsibility that the white coat places on your shoulders for the first time. There are two important milestones in our professional life. The first is today, the moment you wear the coat for the first time; the other is the professional oath you will take at your graduation. By adhering to the principles in that oath, you will work for human health throughout your professional life.”

Pharmacist Arslan: “The white coat you will wear shortly is not merely an item of clothing”

Pharmacist Saffet Arslan, who delivered the final speech, said, “The white coat you will wear shortly is not merely an item of clothing. While it represents cleanliness, honesty, and nobility with its white color, it also places on your shoulders the responsibility of a profession that serves human health, is based on trust, and is committed to ethical values. Seeing you here today, I feel again the excitement I experienced 59 years ago on the day I first wore the white coat. Throughout my professional life, I have never forgotten the meaning and responsibility carried by this coat. I want you to act with the same awareness. I sincerely believe that you will become pharmacists who are committed to science, who research, who improve themselves, and who place human health above everything else. May your research be abundant, and may your horizons be open. I see you as healthcare heroes and future pioneers of your profession.”

Within the scope of the program, an OMU pin was presented by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz to the student who entered the faculty with the highest ranking. The ceremony concluded with a group photo session and a tour of the Faculty of Pharmacy.