Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS) has welcomed its newest cohort of professional students into the nursing, occupational therapy, and pharmacy programs.
The College held its annual Coating Ceremonies on August 21, 2026, in Sheslow Auditorium. Since 1988, these ceremonies have signified the beginning of a journey for Drake CPHS students. Incoming graduate students received a white or blue coat, representing their entry into the healthcare profession.
CPHS Dean Erik Maki encouraged incoming students to reflect on the “profound symbolism” of receiving their coat.
“In the health professions, a white coat has come to symbolize the authority of science and the art of healing,” Maki said. “It is the symbol of commitment, compassion and care.”
This year, a new and meaningful tradition was introduced to the Coating Ceremonies. Each student was coated by their faculty mentor, who will guide them through their professional education. In addition, each student received a card in the pocket of their white or blue coat naming their coat sponsor, the individual(s) who gifted them the coat on their chairs to symbolize their long-term support of the student’s journey in the health professions.
Across three ceremonies, CPHS inducted 20 students into the Nursing Class of 2027, 19 students into the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Class of 2028, and 59 students into the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Class of 2030.
ABSN program welcomes third cohort of aspiring nurses
Twenty students entered the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program this year. This is the third cohort of students entering the one-year program, which began in 2024.
Hannah Crocker; Nursing Clinical, Skills & Simulation Learning Lab Instructor, announced the students as faculty members Dr. Katie Scott, Dr. Abby Rail and Dr. Amanda McGraw bestowed white coats to the incoming students alongside Dean Maki.
Lance Schmitt, Chief Nursing Officer at Broadlawns Medical Center, congratulated the students on their entrance into the nursing profession and led them in the Pledge of Professionalism.
“This ceremony symbolizes just the beginning of your journey into nursing,” Schmitt said. “Broadlawns is happy to partner with you during that journey and allow you to learn what it takes to be a nurse.”
OTD students receive blue coats to honor WWI ‘bluebirds’
Dr. Charles Phillips, Associate Dean of Curriculum & Assessment, announced the twenty students inducted into the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, who crossed the stage to receive a blue coat from OT faculty member Dr. Ashley Murray and Department Chair Dr. Rachel Allen-McHugh alongside Dean Maki and their faculty mentors.
The blue coats honor “reconstruction aides,” a group of civilian women who provided occupational therapy to soldiers in World War One.
“The uniform of these reconstruction aides was a slate blue, which led the army to refer to these aides as the bluebirds,” Maki said. “It is with pride in honoring the beginning of the profession that we also use the color blue.”
These students will graduate Drake’s three-year OTD program in the spring of 2029. Dr. Mara Jaupon, Drake OTD alumna and working Occupational Therapist, welcomed the students into the profession and led them in the Pledge of Professionalism.
“Look around and see the faces of your classmates, family, and friends,” Jaupon asked the students. “You all have a story. An invisible world that we currently know nothing about. And that is exactly where our role as occupational therapists begins. Looking beyond what we can see and taking the time to understand the person behind the patient.”
Current OTD student and president of Drake’s chapter of the Pi Theta Epsilon occupational therapy honor society, Ally Anderson (OTD ‘28), congratulated her new classmates on their entrance to the program and reflected on her own blue coat ceremony one year ago and all that she’d learned and experienced since.
“Looking back now, I can confidently say it was one of the most inspiring, thought-provoking, and motivating years of my life,” Anderson remarked. “Over the past year, I’ve discovered strengths in myself that I didn’t know I had and found some of my best friends along the way. One year from now, you will have the opportunity to look back and see just how much you have grown.”
Pharmacy students begin professional education during “exciting time to be a pharmacist”
This year, Drake welcomed 59 new PharmD candidates with their traditional white coats. Dean Maki emphasized the importance of entering the pharmacy profession at a time when pharmacists are being called upon more than ever to care for their communities.
“It’s a very exciting time to be a pharmacist in the state of Iowa with the implementation of the new Standard of Care for Iowa Pharmacy Practice Act,” Maki said. “The Act allows pharmacists to practice at the top of their skill level to truly meet the healthcare needs of their communities at a time when access to care in many areas is limited.”
Before the presentation of white coats began, a moment was taken to remember Jeffrey Lee, a former classmate of the Pharmacy Class of 2030 who passed away earlier this year. Lee’s mother, Jinsook Kim, joined Dean Maki on the stage to accept Jeffrey’s honorary white coat and share a few words about him.
“Jeffrey truly loved learning,” Kim said. “During his time at Drake, he worked hard, achieved excellent academic results, and looked forward with great excitement to beginning the professional phase of the pharmacy program. Although he was unable to complete his journey, you have chosen to honor him with a white coat. This extraordinary gesture means more to our family than words can express.”
As Dr. Phillips announced the names of each coat recipient, pharmacy faculty members Dr. Michelle Bottenberg and Dr. Sarah Grady joined Dean Maki and the faculty mentors who helped the students put on their coats for the very first time. Joining them on the stage for the presentation of coats was Laura Knockel, President-Elect of the Iowa Pharmacy Association. Knockel offered her words of wisdom to the new pharmacy students before leading them in the Pledge of Professionalism.
“Be involved,” Knockel urged in her address. “But don’t wait until graduation. Start now. Pharmacy needs your ideas, your talents, and your energy.”
Abby Axell, 2027 PharmD Candidate, encouraged the incoming students to take advantage of the endless opportunities they’ll be offered during their time in the program.
“This experience is what you make of it,” Axell said. “Join a pharmacy fraternity, get involved in intramural sports, join committees at the school or the state level, travel to Italy on a J-Term…”
This year’s cohort of PharmD candidates will graduate in four years, in the spring of 2030.