For more photos of LECOM Bradenton's White Coat ceremony click here

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton medical and pharmacy students marked their transition from classroom study to clinical education at the Harvest Centre in Lakewood Ranch on Saturday, Jan. 30, as students received their white coats – symbols of trust between doctor and patient, of compassion, and of the purity of a medical professional’s purpose.

Eric J. Milie, DO, speaks to the LECOM Bradenton Class of 2013.

The 116 LECOM School of Pharmacy students and 156 osteopathic medical students took their respective oaths in the presence of family, faculty members, LECOM administration and peers.

The White Coat Ceremony initiates aspiring health care professionals into a commitment to the highest principles related to the practice of medicine and pharmacy. The White Coat Ceremony marks not only the entrance into medical and pharmacy school, but also matriculation into the health care professions with all of its traditions, accomplishments, rights and profound responsibilities to humankind.

The students are now ready to embark on the highest quality in medical education as they start work with physicians and pharmacists in clinical courses and practices where they will learn more about how they can partner with their patients on a pathway to better health for their lifetimes.

Eric J. Milie, DO, MS, LECOM Class of 2004, engaged students with the important role that hands play in becoming an osteopathic physician.

“Our hands are what set us apart from our allopathic brothers and sisters,” he said. “Our hands are our bond with the patients we interact with on a day-to-day basis. We treat the whole patient: mind, body and spirit.”

Dr. Milie completed his graduate training at Millcreek Community Hospital in Erie, Pa., and is board certified by the American College of Osteopathic Internists. He currently serves as an Internist with Medical Associates of Erie and is Medical Director at both the Erie County Prison and Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home.

Larry Wickless, DO, president of the American Osteopathic Association, welcomed students to the profession.

“The white coats you are receiving today carry great responsibility,” Wickless said. “The (white) coat singles you out as a person belonging to a profession which helps people lead healthier lives, both physically and emotionally.”

Robert George, DO, associate dean of academic affairs at LECOM Bradenton, led the students in the osteopathic pledge of commitment.

Also attending the ceremony was William Silverman, DO, LECOM Bradenton's Adopt-A-Campus representative and AOA Board of Trustees member; LECOM President and CEO John Ferretti, DO; and Silvia Ferretti, DO, Provost, Senior Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs.

The Florida Osteopathic Medical Association provided white coats to all students.

Keynote speaker Lynnae Mahaney, RPh, MBA, addresses the LECOM School of Pharmacy Bradenton class of 2013.

In her keynote address, Lynnae Mahaney, RPh, MBA, FASHP, president of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), called upon students to “listen to their pharmacy warrior within.”

“Your calling is to help people make the best use of their medicines,” said Mahaney, who is Chief of Pharmacy Services at the VA Medical Center in Madison, Wisc., where she is responsible for the comprehensive pharmacy services for over 35,000 military veterans. “Believe in your knowledge and know what you believe – that pharmacists provide value.”

John Garcia, District Manager for CVS Caremark Pharmacy, spoke at the ceremony, along with Hershey S. Bell, MD, MS, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of LECOM's School of Pharmacy.

LECOM School of Pharmacy Bradenton Dean Gary Levin, PharmD, BCCP, FCCP, led the class in the Pledge of Professionalism.

CVS Caremark Pharmacy provided white coats to all members of the Class of 2013.

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and LECOM School of Pharmacy offer innovative and affordable education in osteopathic medicine and pharmacy. From campuses in Erie, Pennsylvania, Greensburg, Pennsylvania and Bradenton, Florida, LECOM provides student-centered pathways to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals. Prepare yourself for medicine as your life’s profession.