Students, faculty and staff are engaging in a wide variety of campus and community activities during the month of October to promote the pharmacist profession.
In honor of American Pharmacists Month in October, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) School of Pharmacy (SOP) students, faculty and staff members are participating in a wide variety of activities.
Dean of Pharmacy Shawn Spencer, PhD, RPh, said, “Our students are engaged this month sharing what we do as pharmacists and, more importantly, why we are doing it.” He added, “Celebrating the accomplishments of pharmacists helps generate awareness of the value we provide both in the continuity of patient care and to our communities.”
The month began with a give-away table in front of the SOP reception area consisting of celebratory buttons and snacks, along with a chance to win GA-PCOM Campus Store swag like tumblers and t-shirts. The celebration table will be manned and stocked every Tuesday during the month.
And then, on October 3, 2018, the American Pharmacy Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA – ASP) chapter and the Pharmacy Student Council co-hosted the second semi-annual Pharmacy Practice Faculty Lunch Panel. Students asked questions about the faculty member’s experiences and sought advice on clinical residency applications. Panelists included Drew Cates, PharmD, assistant professor; Caroline Champion, PharmD, assistant professor; Sara (Mandy) Reece, PharmD, vice chair and associate professor; Brent Rollins, RPh, PhD, assistant professor; Jayden Lee, PharmD, assistant professor; and Dusty Lisi, PharmD, BCPS, assistant professor. The panelists emphasized the importance of professionalism, self-motivation and being well-rounded.
Three days later, members of the Student Societies of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP-SSHP) hosted their annual Clinical Skills Competition where students competed in interactive, team-based analysis of clinical scenarios. Winning team members received a complimentary Midyear Meeting registration to compete at the national competition to be held in Anaheim, California, in December.
On October 9, 2018, the Epsilon Delta chapter of Rho Chi, the pharmacy academic honor organization, held their annual dinner and induction at The 1818 Club in Duluth. Twenty new members joined the chapter and received the Rho Chi pin, a signed membership certificate and a letter from the Rho Chi national president as part of the ceremony. New officers for the chapter were also installed including Jonathan Park (PharmD ’20), president; Timothy Coyle (PharmD ’20), vice president; My Hanh Duong (PharmD ’20), treasurer; An “Tony” Nguyen (PharmD ’20), secretary; and Allison Rowell (PharmD ’20), historian.
Pharmacy careers will be showcased at Gwinnett County Public Schools Career Connections on October 16, 2018. To better prepare students for a smooth transition from school to college and career, the district is hosting the event for more than 5,000 students from 11 different middle schools. Along with 200 other participating companies, the School of Pharmacy will showcase the skills needed to become a pharmacist. The event takes place at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth.
On Friday, October 19th, 2018, the Pharmacy Class of 2022 will take the first step to becoming pharmacists when they receive their white coats at GA-PCOM’s White Coat Ceremony starting at 11 a.m. The featured speakers will be Iran Khaki-Jajafabadi, PharmD ‘18, and Lauren Avery, PharmD ‘18. Drs. Khaki-Jajafabadi and Avery are residents in the PCOM PGY-1 residency program jointly run by the PCOM SOP and Wellstar North Fulton Hospital.
Pharmacy students will participate in the October 21, 2018, 28th Annual AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run, the Southeast’s largest community fundraiser and awareness event for HIV/AIDS, benefiting AID Atlanta and ten other local HIV/AIDS service providers. Then Career Day comes to campus on October 23, 2018, giving retail pharmacists the opportunity to conduct student interviews. The month is rounded out on October 27, 2018, when members of the APhA-ASP chapter participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in conjunction with the Snellville Police Department.
As can be seen, October is a very busy and fulfilling month for the PCOM School of Pharmacy as students and academicians alike celebrate the accomplishments of pharmacists and educates patients, the public, policy makers and other health professionals about pharmacists' expanding role in patient care as integral members of the healthcare team.
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education with a storied 125-year history dedicated to the healthcare professions. 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.
Jamesia Harrison, MS
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Email: jamesiaha@pcom.edu
Office: 678-225-7532 | Cell: 470-572-7558
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