For the first time in three years, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) community gathered in person to celebrate the graduating Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor on May 20.
A theme throughout the speakers’ remarks at the morning’s convocation ceremony was that of overcoming adversity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FCP, FAAPS, dean and professor of the School of Pharmacy, noted that the pandemic, which broke out during the second semester of the graduates’ second year, shaped their educational experiences.
“When thinking about the PharmD Class of 2022, several words come to mind—resiliency, positivity, and altruism to name a few,” Eddington said. “As the pandemic continued, many of you were on the front lines, participating in vaccination efforts at your rotation sites and at newly established COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Some of you volunteered for these experiences to have a role in helping us recover from COVID-19 and recognizing the real-world public health crisis experience you could gain from serving as vaccinators or dose preparers.”