PCOM Georgia’s Pharmacy Council hosted its annual networking event for its Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students preparing for the next steps in their professional careers.
The event, titled ”Dream to PharmD: Honoring Alumni Who Turned Their Pharmacy School Dreams into Reality and Returned to Inspire the Next Generation,” provided students with a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of pharmacy careers. By sitting down with practicing pharmacists from diverse sectors and companies, including AstraZeneca, Emory Hospital, Walmart Pharmacy, and Eldercare, students were able to hear inspiring firsthand stories about their professional journeys through pharmacy school, rotations, residency programs and clinical practice.
“As students, we are told that the pharmacy field is a small world and that networking is very important,” said Airam Viennelu Aliwalas (PharmD ‘27) who spearheaded the event. “It's important for us students to attend conferences and networking events, but those can feel intimidating, so it was nice to host something here on campus.”
Aliwalas admits that her initial plunge into a PharmD career was a bit uncertain. When she attended the Dinner with a Pharmacist event in 2024 and spoke with other professional pharmacists, it gave her more hope and direction.
“I was unsure about which path to take when I started pharmacy school,” she explained. “I had interests in clinical and hospital settings, and academia, but the pharmaceutical industry seemed interesting too, so I was unsure which direction to go,” she explained. “Attending this event as a first-year allowed me to speak with pharmacists across various specialties—residents, managed care, clinical, ambulatory care—which helped me clarify my goals and guide my extracurricular activities, even now as I’m working through my third-year.”
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
Joy Williford
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: joyde@pcom.edu
Office: 470-572-7558
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