Elaina Vitale is a second-year PharmD candidate at The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and the 2022–2023 APhA–ASP Region 3 Regional Delegate.
There were more than 3,700 attendees at APhA2023 in Phoenix last month, and you cannot understand the magnitude of that many pharmacists and student pharmacists in one place until you experience it firsthand. I had no idea what to expect when walking into my first APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition, but it was one of the most transformative weekends of my life.
Action-packed first day
After many flight delays and almost missing our layover—running onto the plane 4 minutes before they closed the doors—the other University of Mississippi student pharmacists and I finally touched down in Phoenix. After successfully locating my luggage, I felt like I had already won the weekend!
As the APhA–ASP Region 3 Regional Delegate, I’ve been working with the other regional delegates and the APhA–ASP National Executive Committee (NEC) for 5 months to craft our proposed resolutions over Zoom. Our first order of business at the Annual Meeting & Exposition was to finally meet in-person—and, wow, was it a sweet moment! Meeting them the night before things began was awesome, but it was even better to have people there to help me navigate to meetings before I inevitably got lost (thanks, Bobby and Mac!).
All of our days were packed with events that had us running back and forth from the Convention Center and the Sheraton Hotel, and I wouldn’t have survived without my comfy walking shoes. Friday consisted of career sessions and a closed House of Delegates (HoD) session (when we voted on 42 resolutions and new business items) as well as Power Hour and the Opening General Session and Reception. I was fortunate enough to serve as my chapter’s delegate and as regional delegate, which allowed me to be a voting member of the APhA Ho D as a representative of APhA–ASP. Thank you so much to Region 3 and Ole Miss for trusting me to be your voice.
Power Hour was right after HOD, and a great opportunity to meet the candidates for NEC and see the Innovative Programming Posters and National Patient Care Projects. APhA also hosted a student social hour that evening, where we all hung out and met other student pharmacists over snacks and drinks.
Getting down to business
Day 2 started bright and early with members of the APhA–ASP New Business Review Committee meeting at 7:15 am to make recommendations about the proposed new business items. (Don’t worry; coffee and breakfast were provided!)
After that, we had our Regional Meet and Greet sessions, which I led alongside the Region 3 Midyear Regional Meeting Coordinator. Seeing the many familiar faces from Region 3 was one of my favorite parts of APhA2023. The true friendships that form at these conferences are unmatched, and my biggest piece of advice is to get out of your comfort zone and meet as many people as possible. You will hear it time and time again, but pharmacy is a small world, and the student pharmacists at these meetings are the future leaders you’ll be working alongside for the entirety of your career.
We had the APhA–ASP HOD on days 2 and 3, both of which were full of incredible conversation on pressing topics within the profession. I am always so impressed with the wisdom of those brave enough to speak out about these subjects, and I learned so much by participating in these discussions.
An energizing weekend
The final day of the meeting began with the National Patient Care Project Workshops. I assisted in the Operation Heart session, which was very informative and inspired the members of my chapter to launch an Operation Heart project at my school this semester. We visited the Expo Hall afterward to learn about new technologies and medications; we made sure to grab some giveaways, too, including vitamin samples, skincare products, and APhA swag. During the second HOD session that afternoon, we voted on the new NEC—and let me tell you: APhA–ASP is in fantastic hands for 2023–2024!
This jam-packed weekend was so reenergizing, and it was a great reminder of why we’re excited to be pharmacists in the midst of a hectic semester. I would definitely encourage you to dive into the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from other student pharmacists and practicing clinicians on a national scale. I learned more in 3 days at APhA2023 than any didactic curriculum could have taught, and this hands-on learning is priceless.
I can’t wait to see y’all next year at APhA2024 in Orlando, and I hope to see many of you at the APhA–ASP Summer Leadership Institute in July 2023!