BRADENTON – The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Bradenton medical and pharmacy students mark the transition from classroom study to clinical education when they receive their white coats – symbols of trust between doctor and patient, of compassion, and of the purity of a medical professional’s purpose. Two ceremonies take place on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at the Harvest Centre in Lakewood Ranch.
The School of Pharmacy ceremony for 116 members of the Class of 2013 will take place at 10 a.m., followed by the presentation of coats to 157 members of the College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2013 at 1:30 p.m.
The white coat ceremony is a LECOM tradition inspiring these future health care professionals to commit to the highest principles related to the practice of osteopathic medicine and pharmacy. Their education takes them on a new pathway where they will interact more with physicians and pharmacists in clinics, hospitals and pharmacies where they begin learning how to become partners with their patients in the pursuit of quality health for the lifetime of the patients.
Eric J. Milie, D.O., M.S. Med. Ed., LECOM Class of 2004 will give the keynote address for the College of Osteopathic Medicine. 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.
Lynnae M. Mahaney, RPh., M.B.A, FASHP, is the president of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and Chief of Pharmacy Services at the VA Medical Center in Madison, Wisconsin, where she is responsible for the comprehensive pharmacy services for over 35,000 military veterans.
Mahaney’s practice focus is medication safety, including medication reconciliation and technology integration. She received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and M.B.A from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Before being elected ASHP President in 2009, Mahaney served ASHP on the Board of Directors, Councils on Legal and Public Affairs (Chair) and Organizational Affairs, Nominations Committee, Task Force on Pharmacy’s Changing Demographics, Foundation Development Committee, and as a Wisconsin delegate. She has been a board member of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (PSW) and named PSW’s Pharmacist of the Year in 2004.
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.
