Congratulations Class of 2020! Now is the time to look back on all you have accomplished, and all you have sacrificed, to get to this pivotal moment in your lives and careers. You have worked incredibly hard, pushed the boundaries of your comfort zones, and made connections that will last a lifetime. Every ounce of you should be brimming with pride and satisfaction from graduating from one of top Faculties of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the world.
This milestone is cause for much anticipated celebration, although perhaps not in the way you had imagined just a few months ago. The global COVID-19 pandemic has tuned the world upside down, disrupting nearly all aspects of our lives. It has also underscored the essential nature of our work as pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.
More than ever, our expertise is needed to care for patients, build new diagnostic and treatment tools, and re-envision the delivery of healthcare at all levels.
For our Doctor of Pharmacy graduates: there has never been a greater need for people to access high-quality expertise about the effectiveness, safety and use of medications. You are entering the profession at a time of momentous change and opportunity. I know you are equipped to meet any challenge and carve a new and exciting path for pharmacy.
For our Pharmaceutical Sciences graduates: the fundamental importance of evidence-based solutions to real world problems is plain to see. Use your training and creativity to drive change and remember that true leaders seek to empower and elevate others.
I urge each of you to continue, as you have done in your time at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, to strive to be the best. The best pharmacists, scientists, patient advocates, and leaders. Nurture the bonds you have made with classmates and faculty. Know that these relationships will serve you beyond your immediate professional ambitions. They will, time and again, enrich and expand your horizons.
Sincerely,
Lisa Dolovich
Dean
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Toronto