APhA–ASP Member Spotlight: Alex Duong
Meet Alex Duong, a second-year PharmD candidate at the Chapman University School of Pharmacy. Alex currently serves as her chapter’s vice president of student affairs. Currently, Alex is hoping to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship with a pharmaceutical company or an academic residency after graduation. We spoke with Alex to better understand what she hopes to achieve for, and through, APhA–ASP.
Student Pharmacist Magazine (SPM): Can you tell us about your journey with APhA–ASP? Why did you choose to become a member and why do you remain a member?
Alex: Although it feels like I have a long way to go, I am genuinely satisfied with what I have accomplished within APhA. My continued membership has provided me with invaluable opportunities for social networking and professional development through fundraising and outreach events, as well as major conferences that I have had the honor to attend. I am eager to maximize my potential in the pharmacy field, and many of APhA’s core values—Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence (collectively known as “CARE”)—are principles I hope to embody in my future career. Through my involvement with APhA, I aim to amplify what I have learned and implemented on a smaller scale at my school to benefit the larger pharmacy community.
SPM: What is your favorite APhA–ASP member benefit?
Alex: As a member of APhA–ASP, one of the top benefits I’ve enjoyed is the opportunity to connect with a diverse array of professionals, leaders, and student pharmacists in the expansive world of pharmacy. The organization’s vast network has made it incredibly easy to meet pharmacists and student pharmacists through conferences and events such as the APhA Midyear Regional Meeting and Western Pharmacist Exchange (WPE). It’s been particularly rewarding to find like-minded students who share my passion for pharmacy advocacy and involvement. Through APhA, I’ve been able to take the initiative to seek new experiences and immerse myself in challenging situations that push me beyond my comfort zone, fostering both personal and professional growth.
SPM: What is your favorite APhA–ASP memory?
Alex: My favorite APhA–ASP memory to date has been attending WPE 2024 with my friends. As my first major conference, the experience was both thrilling and daunting. While I had been briefed on the scale of the CPE events, research presentations, and company showcases, the sheer magnitude of the conference surpassed all my expectations. Over that brief weekend, I forged numerous connections with fellow attendees, many of which have endured to this day. The professional and personal growth I gained from this experience has been invaluable, solidifying WPE 2024 as a pivotal moment in my pharmacy journey.
SPM: Tell us about your chapter’s “Night at the Oscars” event. What was it all about and how did it go?
Alex: Our chapter’s annual APhA Formal, themed “Night at the Oscars,” stands out as one of our most significant projects in terms of both budget and planning effort. This event, highly valued by previous boards, especially by my vice president of student affairs predecessors, is uniquely justified by our student organization’s size and scope.
In shaping this year’s Formal, we made several key distinctions that required impromptu thinking and adaptability. We expanded its purpose beyond being a social gathering to include professional networking and outreach. To align with APhA’s mission, we incorporated a discussion on the current SB966 bill, emphasizing how advocacy would impact attendees' future professional lives in the evolving field of pharmacy.
We also broadened our audience, inviting not only active student pharmacists but also students from the Chapman’s Accelerated Pre-Pharmacy Experience Program (APEx), Chapman pharmacy faculty, and students from other pharmacy schools such as Keck Graduate Institute and the University of Southern California. This inclusive approach resulted in an unexpectedly high turnout of around 90 attendees. We could’ve never anticipated this turnout and expanding the outreach of our event was a pivotal move to keep the event affordable to as many attendees as possible—especially when inviting undergraduate/APEx students.
While the event proceeded smoothly overall, it wasn’t without its challenges. Minor hiccups occurred during planning and setup, which would have been overwhelming to handle alone. Fortunately, my fellow board members, particularly Grecia De La Cruz, vice president of finance, and Vivian La, vice president of policy, played crucial roles in bringing the event to fruition.
SPM: If you were a superhero, what power would you have?
Alex: It would definitely be to multiply an unlimited number of copies of myself! Getting through emails and menial tasks would be so easy and I could get started with what I want in the day much faster and easier.
SPM: After a long day of school or work, what do you like to do in the evening to unwind?
Alex: I like to relax by watching video essays on YouTube about interests that I have outside of pharmacy. These can include artists from history, historical myths and legends, and video games. Currently, I’m fascinated by the enduring Chinese folklore of “Journey to the West,” and have been immersed within the many videos about its origin and story.