The University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy welcomed 101 incoming students during the 2026 White Coat Ceremony on August 14, marking the official start of their journey toward becoming members of the pharmacy profession.
The Class of 2030 represents 13 states, from Connecticut to Wyoming, and 24 South Carolina counties. Members carry an average GPA of 3.76, while nearly one in five are first-generation college students. The majority of the students completed their undergraduate or prerequisite coursework at USC, and 88% were pre-pharmacy majors.
Dean Stephen J. Cutler welcomed the students by reminding them that the white coat they now wear carries weight far beyond the ceremony itself.
"The white coat carries meaning for the patients who look to you for help," he says. "This training will challenge you in a new and profound way."
Meaghan Murphy, a 2019 graduate and the college's Outstanding Young Alumna, reflected on entering the profession during the pandemic, when she became an advocate for pharmacists among policymakers, public health experts and patients.
"I have personally witnessed a vital shift in how pharmacists are perceived," she says. "We are not just the person behind the counter. We are the medication experts who provide care to patients in their communities. I have never been more optimistic about the pathways ahead, and about the ones you will create simply by saying yes.”
We are not just the person behind the counter. We are the medication experts who provide care to patients in their communities.
Student Government Association President Mackenzie Waldron, Class of 2028, closed the ceremony by leading the students in reciting the Pledge of Professionalism, and she reminded students that their most important lessons will not come from the classroom and lectures alone.
"Some of the most valuable lessons will be what you learn outside the classroom," she says. "They come from your classmates, your professors, your preceptors, and most importantly, your patients."
Waldon encouraged the students to lean on their fellow students for support as they traverse the challenges of a rigorous doctoral program.
"These are the people that will celebrate your successes, encourage you after difficult exams, and they understand what your experience is because they're going through it.”
Topics: Pharm.D. Program, Student Experience