Dalhousie University’s College of Pharmacy has introduced a new welcome tradition for incoming students, replacing its longstanding white coat ceremony with the gift of a cherry tree sapling. While students will still receive white coats for lab use, the formal ceremony now centres on the saplings, which students are encouraged to nurture throughout their studies. Chosen for their local roots, medicinal properties, and role in traditional medicine, the cherry trees will later be planted to mark students’ personal and professional growth. Dal says that it made the change in response to concerns that the white coat can reinforce hierarchies and evoke negative associations for some patients. “It’s creating a new tradition that allows pharmacy students to understand the roots of the profession,” said Dal College of Pharmacy Director Dr Kyle Wilby.
