On May 23, the inaugural student pharmacist cohort from the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences graduated with their Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degrees.
The Doctor of Pharmacy program at UC Irvine was created in tandem with the establishment of the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2020. In 2021, the school welcomed the first cohort of student pharmacists at the inaugural White Coat Ceremony.
“This is the realization of the vision we had upon establishing this program and our school in 2020,” shared Founding Dean Jan Hirsch in the graduation ceremony’s opening remarks. “We set out to establish a professional degree program that prepares graduates to be practice-ready pharmacists who are problem solvers, independent lifelong learners, team players, and leaders who will drive transformative changes in the healthcare system. Thanks to [the] academic excellence [of our student pharmacists] and [their] commitment to patient care, we have achieved this dream.”
The event featured a keynote address by retired Rear Admiral Pamela Schweitzer, Former Assistant Surgeon General and 10th Chief Pharmacist Officer of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
Remarks were also provided by Dr. Megan Nguyen, Founding Associate Dean of Pharmacy Student Affairs; UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman; Dr. Steve Goldstein, Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs; and Dr. Allen Chao, who, along with his family, founded the UC Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and has supported many other initiatives at the university. Denis Kitayama, who earned his BS in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine in 1976, served as Mace Marshal.
The 38 student pharmacists — including 22 first-generation students — have completed the education necessary to begin pharmacist careers in hospitals, outpatient ambulatory care settings, community pharmacies, nursing homes, managed care, academia, research, the pharmaceutical industry, government agencies, and other pharmacy practice settings.
“I encourage you to embrace the uncertainty of what lies in front of you with excitement, just as you did four years ago,” said Dean Hirsch to the graduates. “Your determination, and your boldness, have formed the foundation of the Doctor of Pharmacy program at UC Irvine and will continue to inspire future student pharmacists for years to come.”
You can see photos from the graduation ceremony here.
