The University of Cape Coast (UCC) School of Optometry and Vision Sciences (SOVS) has reached a significant milestone in its history with the successful hosting of its maiden White Coat Ceremony, held on Friday, July 11, 2025.
Themed “Visionaries in White: Illuminating the Path for Optometric Excellence,” the ceremony marked the official transition of fifty-five (55) fourth-year Doctor of Optometry students from classroom learning to hands-on clinical training.
The symbolic event not only celebrated academic progression but also reaffirmed the School’s commitment to professional integrity and patient-centered care.
During the ceremony, each student was ceremoniously robed in a white coat and presented with a pen light, a powerful symbol of their readiness to embark on the clinical journey with precision, compassion, and responsibility.
Chairing the occasion was Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, who reiterated the university’s dedication to strengthening eye health education and supporting efforts to address vision care challenges across the country.
“We are here to honour our collective commitment to advancing eye health, education and service to Ghana and beyond. Indeed, this morning’s ceremony, you agree with me, symbolizes far more than the donning of a white coat.”
“But it’s also one that signifies commitment to ethical, compassionate and exemplary clinical practice. It celebrates the integrity of your profession and calls each of us to innovate in service delivery as we seek to advance eye health across Ghana and beyond,” he said.
In his address, Dean of the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, UCC, Professor Stephen Ocansey, reflected on the growth of the institution and outlined ambitious future plans.
These include the establishment of specialty clinics, enhanced clinical rotation opportunities, and expanded community outreach programmes to increase the school’s impact nationwide.
“This is a homecoming of gratitude, reflection and renewed partnership as we celebrate your achievements and invite you to be active participants in building the future of the school that nurtured you. We’re also here to launch what we call the 25 for 25 legacy campaign as we prepare for our 25th anniversary of optometric education at UCC in 2027.”
“This campaign seeks to raise 25 million Ghana cities to establish 25 modern clinical practice lanes and state-of-the-art dispensing optics lab to enhance our clinical training and extend eye care services to underserved communities across the country.”
The guest speaker Deputy Chief Optometrist at Somanya Polyclinic and the pioneering alumna of UCC’s Doctor of Optometry programme, Dr. Rita Danso, charged students to uphold the pillars of professionalism and patient dignity.
“As visionaries in white coats, you are called to embody professionalism, integrity, humility, empathy, and discipline. The coat you wear is not just a symbol of knowledge, it is telling you today that you are a primary health care giver, a gatekeeper of sight, and sometimes the first to spot deeper conditions hidden behind the eye.”
The event also doubled as an alumni homecoming and the official launch of a fundraising campaign ahead of the school’s silver jubilee celebration in 2027, bringing together former students, faculty, and partners to support the institution’s ongoing development.
The Doctor of Optometry programme at the University of Cape Coast, since its establishment in 2002 has trained over 250 optometrists making meaningful impact in public hospitals, private practice, academia, security services and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across Ghana and globally.
The then Department of Optometry was formally elevated to a School in 2024 to enhance its scope of operations.
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Source: Afote Asomdwoe Laryea/ATLFMNEWS
