WesternU College of Optometry white coat ceremony features inspiration, advice for new students

Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Optometry held its white coat ceremony Aug. 9, 2025, in Pomona, California. The ceremony capped off Welcome Week for first-year students, who were welcomed into the profession by donning their clinical white coats for the first time.

College of Optometry Founding Dean Elizabeth Hoppe, OD, MPH, DrPH, opened the ceremony with a story about WesternU Founding President Philip Pumerantz, PhD. He loved to tell the story of an anatomy professor who showed his class a microscope slide and asked them what it was. The students would call out their answers, but he told them “no” each time.

“The professor said, ‘This is a mother. A daughter. A sister. A brother. A son. This is someone who plays an important role in the community, who is loved and who loves their family. Never forget that,’” Hoppe said. “With that foundation and that tradition we are now helping you make the transition to the future doctors that you will become with the privilege of your very first white coat. And this white coat signifies the transition to always placing your patient first.”

College of Optometry alumnus Michael Fimreite, OD ’16, served as the keynote speaker for the white coat ceremony. A Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate in Comprehensive Eye Care, Dr. Fimreite is also a Certified Clinical Investigator. He co-owns PAJE Optometric, which operates locations in Santa Ana and Mission Viejo, California, and provides comprehensive ophthalmic care to skilled nursing facilities across Southern California. His outreach includes delivering eye exams to wheelchair-bound and bedridden patients who are unable to visit a traditional clinic – ensuring access to quality care for some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

Building on his commitment to education and professional growth, he will also present two hours of Continuing Education (CE) at the upcoming WesternU Alumni Reunion. His CE course will be Part II: Conducting Ophthalmic Exams on Patients with Impaired Cognitive or Physical Abilities Bringing the Exam Room to Patients Confined in Wheelchairs, Gerichairs, or who are Bedridden. He will present from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 4, 2025 in the Health Education Center, Classroom C on WesternU’s Pomona campus.

He assured the students that they earned the right to be here through hard work and by excelling as undergraduates.

“The other thing I wanted to mention today, with all the professional growth you’re going to have throughout these four years, I think it’s absolutely OK to address fact that these next four years are also going to be a lot of fun,” Fimreite said. “That professional growth that you’ll be undertaking will be beautifully balanced with personal growth and social growth that you’re going to have. If not already, every single person that you see here by the end of these four years is going to be a friend of yours. That’s a cool thing to say. I can say that now already because I lived through it myself.”

Incoming students were excited to meet their classmates and start their program.

“Based on the people I met, I already feel like I’m going to have a good time here,” said first-year College of Optometry student Edwin Shum Zhou. “Everyone is very welcoming. The campus is really nice.”

Everyone greets you with a smile on their face, said first-year College of Optometry student Sahil Dhindsa.

“Everyone is very friendly. That energy radiates around the room and makes you want to learn, and want to get to know more people,” he said.

He was inspired to join the profession because of his sister, who is also an optometrist.

“Seeing her lifestyle, how she works with other people and changes their lives for the better, is something I saw myself doing,” Dhindsa said. “Her work-life balance as well is the perfect fit for me.”

Photos by Terrence Lewis Photography.