Aronson and Janke wrote an insightful article in a paramount area with limited prior evidence--the importance of student pharmacists’ professional engagement.1 We hoped to extend their evidence further with a few other noteworthy findings.
The first comes from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s (ACCP) national student leaders who highlighted professional engagement (ie, professional stewardship) as a tenet of professionalism for student pharmacists.2 This despite that “Pharmacists’ Tenets for Professionalism” do not mention professional engagement.3
The second comes from an instrument developed to measure professionalism of recent PharmD graduates.4 Professional engagement was in a number of items, and the instrument showed exceptionally-high unidimensionality. (Another geographically-separate cohort of recent PharmD graduates confirmed this very-high unidimensionality.5) The very-high unidimensionality suggests that these graduates had a clear-cut concept of professionalism--and items regarding professional engagement were very congruent with the overall instrument.
Further evidence comes from AOB’s and JBW’s perspectives as
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This profession-centered identity of a student pharmacist (not “pharmacy student”) has two parts. On one hand, student pharmacists are engaged in the student’s individual development into a professional. On the other hand, importantly and often neglected student pharmacists are also engaged in activities and opportunities that further develop the profession. This adds to professional stewardship/engagement as more than just moving some students’ learning “outside of the classroom”2--it is a way for student pharmacists to progressively unify their parallel development of personal and professional identity
I have graciously been given the opportunity to broaden my horizons and learn a variety of practices in the pharmaceutical environment. Since the October of 2017 I have been employed at Hoey Apothecary under the care and teaching of many pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. At Hoey Apothecary I work as a pharmacy assistant, and only because of the Youth Apprenticeship Program that Monona Grove High School has offered to it’s students. During my time in the program I having developed a variety of skills and learned the inner works of the cooperation between the technicians and pharmacists. Specifically as an assistant, I am tasked with the responsibilities of; ensuring that the patients are receiving the correct prescription, at the right time,
My strongest impetus for the study of this major is pegged on the personal urge to improve the lives and health of those around me. I would only be able to serve the health of others when I am fully acquainted with the knowledge of pharmacy, which to me is one of the noblest professions. I am deeply concerned about the welfare of others. My experiences, especially as I visit hospitals form a significant part in influencing my choice to study pharmacy. At one point, I felt very bad when a pharmacist in a hospital I had visited was very indolent in serving a patient. All human beings would feel adored and valued when they are given appropriate attention in regard to their health. The health profession has a mission geared towards safeguarding people's health and that mission is perfectly in sync with my desires. I want to be exceptional, to do my best in caring for people, and attend to their interest to the best of my knowledge. I admire nourishing hope to desolate patients and always give them a reason to
During the two and a half years of my pharmacy journey, I have been thinking what can a pharmacist do within the healthcare interprofessional team to better help the patients in order to achieve the best health outcome. I work in a clinic as well as inpatient pharmacy, additionally, I had my rotations at CVS and Regions Hospital. all these experiences shape my version of the pharmacists at different settings. Therefore, in various pharmacy settings, pharmacists can work differently with the whole healthcare team. The recent PED-Rx events inspired me how important pharmacists can play roles in when working in a team.
I have spent my time as a student pharmacist learning about opportunities within clinical pharmacy and making certain that I was equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. In my pursuit, I became an active member of pharmaceutical organizations, held multiple leadership positions, attended clinical conferences, established research projects, participated in community service events, and other initiatives. I excelled academically, which was manifested in not just a high academic standard but also in tutoring fellow classmates and arranging sessions with other pharmacy students to help them improve time management and study skills. I shadowed pharmacists and residents before my advanced pharmacy practice experiences commenced to discover which areas of clinical pharmacy I found intriguing. I have obtained valuable pharmacy practice experiences in five specialties thus far including inpatient internal medicine, long term acute care, geriatrics and telehealth, and primary care. Through these rotations, I built upon the knowledge I acquired from my didactic courses but also developed patient-centered approaches and strengthened my clinical skills. I enjoyed many aspects of my rotations, including contributing pharmacotherapy recommendations, providing patient education, attending rounds and interdisciplinary team meetings – all of which have solidified my desire
Many Chapters felt that our proposition upheld APhA-ASP’s mission to “provide opportunities for professional growth” because, if adopted, our resolution will allow pharmacy students nationwide to engage in enriching learning experiences earlier on. The next step in the APhA-ASP Policy Process is for our proposal to be presented at an open hearing during APhA Annual for APhA-ASP Chapters throughout the nation to
As the first generation in my family to go to college I learned the importance of education. I graduated from Benedictine University with a Bachelors in Science and an Environment Certificate. I became intregted by pharmacy when I started to spent countless hours at a hospital watching my grandfather go in and out of surgeries and treatments for cancer. Seeing the different medication being handed to him inspired me to understand biological and chemical processes that happened. A Pharmacists, role is to aim to help patients treat illness by introducing new developed treatment of medicines with a range of patients. I began to take special interest in memorizing all my grandfather’s medications and how practical and clinical aspect pharmacy worked.
Through the training opportunities available at this university I will have the ability to pursue further interaction with patients while strengthening my pharmacotherapeutic knowledge related to specific disease states. In the course of achieving my short term goal of achieving a pharmacy residency, I will be able to refine and hone my clinical expertise as well as expanding my research and teaching abilities. Upon completion of this training, as well as my post-doctorate training, my plan is to obtain a position as a clinical pharmacist in a specialized patient population. The exposition to a variety of different areas of pharmacy practice will undoubtedly shape the direction which I choose to pursue, though I know that currently my primary field of interest is ____. By continuing to pursue this field, I will be better capable of teaching students in the future as well as conducting research in a variety of pharmacy
In my NUR-301 Class, I had the opportunity to practice on Interprofessional Education. Our nursing student team was partnered with first year pharmacy school students to learn about each other professions and to study on how we could work in a team of healthcare professionals to attain a common goal. As this was my first time experience to meet other students from a different department of Notre Dame of Maryland University, I was not sure what to expect from our discussions. Even if I have some experiences working both in hospitals and in a pharmacy, I was no fully aware of the responsibilities of a pharmacist directly to the patient or to the healthcare field specialists.
work. I was given an insight into how pharmacists perform their tasks, and learned that it
As I reflect on my experience of a pharmacy practice, I realize how much of my personality has changed in only few months. The experiences I gained during my first rotation at Walgreens were particularly rewarding, especially those gained while working as a team to achieve a common goal of a patient’s well-being. I did not have any previous experience in the pharmacy setting, therefore I was determined to take advantage of this opportunity to grow and develop skills that are vital to be a good pharmacist. During the rotation, I performed many activities that were assigned by the preceptor, learned new skills and competencies, identified my strengths and weaknesses, and made plans for continued development throughout the journey of pharmacy practice.
As the next generation of pharmacists, we need to be well versed in the current state of our profession. While this is easier said than done, it is something worth pursuing if we are to stand our ground as a profession and adapt to the shifting landscape of healthcare. In order to get the full grasp of where our profession stands, we must have a strong understanding of the current relationships we hold in the healthcare system. This means working with the community, healthcare providers, and regulatory officials.
As towards my completion of first professional year and IPPE 1, I have come across many aspects which I have improved on. Working in a in retail pharmacy, is like dealing with patients with practical aspects. Through this, I have amended on my communication skills. Whenever a patient comes in with any kind of problem, I loved to resolve their problem as I always pursue something new. In the first professional year, I have been taught about various subjects which were the foundations of the pharmacy career. Basics of every subject makes me informative about particular details related to drugs. When a patient comes in with questions about OTC medications, I can satisfy the patient with the correct answer or can recommend alternate option. In
For me, choosing to pursue a career in pharmacy was far from planned. I knew that I wanted to find a profession which I could find self fulfilling. So, one could say I knew as much about pharmacy and its history as an average person. I’ve always imagined that pharmacy and the entire profession as a whole was relatively modern. In other words, I never really took pharmacy as a profession with a history. I’ve always thought that pharmacy and medicine, as one, essentially made its largest strides with the technology boom of the 21st century. During my visit, I realized I was both right, but also, wrong in a sense.
This semester has been a tough one but I feel like I have learned a lot about pharmacy over these past few months. I have had a lot of courses so far and in each one, I have been able to make connections to the practice of pharmacy. In this essay, I will reflect on some of things I learned in my courses and how they relate to my future career as a pharmacist. I will also identify areas where certain topics intersect in different courses.
What better way to learn about the pharmacy profession than from two SDSU alumni in the university’s own pharmacy? I had the opportunity to learn from Melanie Lunn and Tasha Rausch in the unique environment that the Jackrabbit Pharmacy brings. I was able to compare and contrast this pharmacy with the retail pharmacy I work in. The Jackrabbit Pharmacy has a unique patient population and location which leads to many of these differences.