UPIKE Newsroom

The University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) held its first White Coat Ceremony for the inaugural Class of 2020 on Saturday, April 14, 2018. The event was held on campus in the Health Professions Education Building, home to KYCO.

The White Coat Ceremony is symbolic within the health professions, reflecting a commitment to patient care. After two years of learning rigorous curriculum in the classroom, the Class of 2020 will apply their knowledge in the clinical setting.

Donnie Akers, O.D., interim dean at KYCO, told students, “You’ve earned the right to provide direct patient care, and that is a huge responsibility. The white coat is a symbol of a life of service to others.”

Second-year students at KYCO were “coated” in the presence of family members, friends and the campus community by Cliff Caudill, O.D., KYCO assistant dean of clinical affairs.

Joe E. Ellis, O.D., a long-time advocate for patient access to optometric care, served as keynote speaker for the ceremony. Ellis, of Benton, Ky., is past president of the American Optometric Association and Kentucky Optometric Association. Currently, he is the chair of AOAEXCEL (a for-profit subsidiary of the American Optometric Association), the American Optometric Association Political Action Committee and the Marshall County Health Department. Additionally, he serves on UPIKE’s Board of Trustees and the Council on Postsecondary Education.

“The White Coat Ceremony is symbolic of the trust you must earn with a patient and, most importantly, to keep that trust sacred,” said Ellis. “The white coat stands for the patient’s confidence in you to do the right thing.”

The ceremony was followed by a reception to honor KYCO’s Class of 2020.

To view a recording of the ceremony  – Click Here

For photos of the ceremony click on the following link – White Coat Gallery