Rachel Milwee is a final-year PharmD candidate at the Belmont University College of Pharmacy.
My recent rotation with the APhA executive office was full of new challenges and experiences. The executive office deals with all facets of the association as well as the APhA Foundation and being there with The 2022 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition approaching meant that daily tasks were consumed with preparations for a successful conference.
It was incredibly interesting, as a student pharmacist, to be involved in the preparation for the award ceremonies, APhA House of Delegates (HoD) sessions, and elections. As a student pharmacist with only basic knowledge about HoD, it was exciting to sit in on committee meetings and participate in the policy process.
I was also given the opportunity to assist with preparations for the annual Remington Award banquet, an award ceremony that honors a pharmacist who goes above and beyond to advance the profession and improve patients’ lives throughout their career. The award is considered the highest honor in the pharmacy profession, and it was exciting to learn more about past participants and be a part of the preparations.
Pandemic discussions
In addition, the topic of COVID-19 is just as present in association management as it is in pharmacies and hospitals across the nation. The executive team met with members of APhA and CDC frequently to discuss the concerns of pharmacists and patients. In order to represent the profession well in these meetings, the executive office staff also met with representatives from other pharmacy organizations to discuss the pandemic from their unique perspectives.
Our meetings with other national organizations were among my favorite because I thought it was very interesting to see all the participants working together for pharmacists in various workplace settings. Through these meetings, I became interested in learning more about the effects of COVID-19 on different populations. This resulted in me leading a topic discussion with staff on telehealth and access issues for people with disabilities.
Inspired by the APhA staff
As I am preparing for the transition from student to pharmacist, I was inspired by the dedication of APhA staff. I had the privilege to meet with numerous staff members via a longitudinal project throughout the rotation; I even got to sit down with APhA’s CEO, CFO, and Chief of Staff. I think it says a lot about the organization that executives took the time to meet with a student pharmacist who discussed my future with genuine interest and concern.
My takeaway from the rotation is that I never take all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into our state and national associations for granted. I would encourage any student pharmacist, regardless of their career goals, to apply for the APhA Experiential Program.
If you are a final-year student like myself, let me take this opportunity to encourage you to maintain involvement with your state and national associations postgraduation and make your voice heard!