By Connor Anderson
“For most people, interest without purpose is nearly impossible to sustain for a lifetime. It is therefore imperative that you identify your work as both personally interesting and, at the same time, integrally connected to the well-being of others.” — Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
As student pharmacists, we are lucky. There are few professions in life where we get to care for our community, our family, and our friends. The act of caring for the lives of our patients is laced with purpose, given through something as small as a smile to as large as forming a lifelong pharmacist–patient relationship, and our efforts exist to improve the well-being of the society that surrounds us. Our purpose is clear and our passion for moving pharmacy forward shows in the work we do every day.
At APhA–ASP, we are not only given a platform to share ideas on a national and international scale, entertain friends with a lively talent show, and grow our professional skill set; we are also allowed the opportunity to lead our peers, tap into the wisdom of chapter advisors and legends of the pharmacy profession, and work to improve the profession through policy and legislative action. It just so happens that we had the privilege to recognize the leaders of these initiatives within the Academy at APhA2019 in Seattle.
Congratulations to the chapters and individuals across the country that were recognized during the APhA–ASP Opening General Session (OGS) on Friday, March 22, for their dedication to chapter initiatives during the 2017–18 academic year.
Award recipients
APhA–ASP Operation Immunization National Award
Winner: University of Houston College of Pharmacy
1st Runner-up: Idaho State University College of Pharmacy
2nd Runner-up: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Operation Diabetes National Award
Winner: The University of Utah College of Pharmacy
1st Runner-up: University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy
2nd Runner-up: University of Florida College of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Operation Heart National Award
Winner: University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
1st Runner-up: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy
2nd Runner-up: University of Southern California School of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Patient Care Award: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Chapter Professionalism Award: University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Chapter Operational Leadership Award: University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Most Improved Chapter Award: University of Puerto Rico School of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Outstanding IPSF Activity Award: University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Chapter Policy and Legislative Award: University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award: Deanna Tran, PharmD, BCACP, University of Maryland College of Pharmacy
APhA–ASP Student Leadership Awards
Shanice Anderson, Howard University College of Pharmacy
Jaimie Myers, University of South Florida College of Pharmacy
Vivian Nguyen, University of Florida College of Pharmacy–Jacksonville
Emily Oliver, University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy
Student Pharmacists Got Talent
In addition to the award presentations, OGS attendees were entertained by Nick Paulson, from the Thomas Jefferson University College of Pharmacy, who provided a crowd-pleasing tap-dance performance in his second consecutive APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition talent appearance. Also, Umbreen Majib, from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, beautifully performed the song “No One” by Alicia Keys. One of our faculty members has got talent as well. Brent Reed, PharmD, BCCP, FAHA, past APhA–ASP National President and current Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, revved up the crowd with an opening rendition of Justin Timberlake’s “Can't Stop the Feeling!” and closed the OGS with an awesome performance of Queen’s “Don't Stop Me Now.” Thank you to all the evening’s performers for being #fearlesslyauthentic and sharing your talent with your fellow student pharmacists.
Leadership lessons
During APhA–ASP’s 50th anniversary celebration in Seattle, student pharmacists heard from giants of the pharmacy profession as part of the OGS “Lessons from Leaders” series. First, 2018–19 APhA–ASP National President-elect Kelli Jo Welter interviewed Lucinda Maine, PhD, FAPhA, Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 1979–80 SAPhA President, and recipient of the 2019 Remington Honor Medal. Dr. Maine conveyed that, “If you could fix e problem of all the active students falling off the face of pharmacy as they graduate, we could change the profession. Staying engaged will change your career.”
Next, 2018–19 APhA–ASP National President Nimit Jindal conversed with Joseph L. Fink III, BSPharm, JD, DSc (Hon), FAPhA, who helped lead the 1969 shift in the students’ organizational structure within APhA. He shared the lesson he learned throughout his inspiring years in the pharmacy profession: “During your lifetime, you will have pivotal conversations—conversations that when you look back, you’ll say, ‘Boy that interaction with that mentor, that pharmacist, made a heck of an impact!’ You never know where opportunities [will] come from or when they will present themselves to guide you in another direction. Oftentimes, it’s these pivotal conversations that make you bend. Keep looking for ways to network with peers, to stay in touch.” Dr. Fink added, “A great question to ask is ‘What are you doing new in your career?’”
Thank you
On behalf of APhA–ASP, we thank our uplifting leaders for sharing their wisdom, our talented peers for showing us that professionalism does not need to be boring, and our student chapters for their tireless efforts to better our health. One performance, one life lesson, one patient interaction at a time, we make our mark on the profession of pharmacy.