Hello everyone!
It’s hard to believe that this year is winding down and my time as a P3 is coming to a close. In a few short weeks I will have finished my finals and will be moving on to Capstone. June seems so far away right now but before I know it will be day one of my first rotation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. But, before I get caught up in the nervous excitement of becoming a P4 I wanted to take a few moments to tell you about one of my favorite student organizations, Kappa Psi.
It is no secret that our college has a plethora of student organizations and each one offers something unique and valuable to its members. I myself have been a member of all 3 of our large organizations, APhA, SSHP, and SNPhA. But, my favorite organization here at Ohio State is by far Kappa Psi. The large organizations are fabulous for hearing about different opportunities and careers within the profession and ways that you can make an impact, but I have truly found a home within Kappa Psi.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, what makes Kappa Psi so special? I won’t lie to you, it’s hard to put into words why Kappa Psi means so much to me, but I am going to do my best. One of my favorite things is that our chapter is extremely active in both our community and at school. This year we organized fundraisers for assisting the victims of Hurricane Harvey and raised funds for a virtual book drive for Reach out and Read. Here within Central Ohio we constantly volunteer for the free clinic Helping Hands and we made Valentines for the kids at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. But in order for us to be successful in our projects and initiatives we have to strong as a group. My brothers are some of my best friends and are always there for me when I need help with my classwork or time away from pharmacy school. Perhaps the best thing about Kappa Psi is that I feel connected to each class within the college and even with recent graduates. I have brothers in each class and Columbus has a graduate chapter and together we all support each other through the triumphs and challenges that arise in school. I honestly don’t think I would be the intern or student that I am today without my brothers. But, Kappa Psi is more than our chapter, Kappa Psi is the world’s largest pharmaceutical fraternity and our brotherhood goes beyond the city limits of Columbus.
This past weekend our Xi chapter journeyed down to Louisville, KY for our Spring Province meeting with the rest of our brothers from the Great Lakes Province. Our province includes chapters from local graduate chapters and schools including University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, Sullivan University, Ohio Northern University, Northeast Ohio Medical University, University of Toledo, Wayne State University, and Ferris State University. Going to Province is such an enjoyable experience for me because I love having the opportunity to network with fellow brothers from local schools (and sometimes brothers across the country!) and work on building strong relationships with them. While we may not see each other more than a few times a year, each time I meet up with a fellow brother we instantly pick up where we left off the last time and have a great time. I know that no matter what, I can always reach out to my fellow brothers to assist me in any way that I need.
ΚΨ Class of 2019 Brothers in Louisville, KY
Province offers many things to those who attend including continuing education credits, leadership discussions, financial planning sessions, and many more. But, one of my favorite parts of Province is the award ceremony where we honor the hardwork and triumphs of our local chapters for the year. I am happy to announce that the Great Lakes Province has been the most philanthropic province within Kappa Psi this year donating $4, 510 to our national charity Reach Out and Read! As an entire province we raised over $14,000 for various charities across the country to give back to our communities. Even more exciting news is that myself and the other brothers of Xi were the most charitable chapter within our province this year with our campaigns for Hurricane Harvey and Reach Out and Read! All in all, it was a great a weekend with my brothers and I left feeling inspired by the profession and my colleagues knowing that we truly do make a difference in people’s lives.
Xi Chapter posing with our Philanthropy Challenge Trophy
As my time within Parks Hall comes to an end, I have a sea full of memories about my time in the didactic portion of my PharmD, but almost all of them were made with my brothers of Kappa Psi. If there is any advice I could give to you as someone who is about to start their journey as a PharmD student, it would be to get involved and get involved early. Find your home within one of our many organizations and give it your all. Every employer or residency program is looking for leadership skills and those are things that can’t be entirely taught in the classroom. Also, take the time to go to the regional or national meetings because the networking opportunities associated with them are priceless. If you have any questions about our organizations or if you want more information about my experiences with Kappa Psi or other student organizations, feel free to reach out and email me.
It has been an absolute pleasure to share my thoughts and experiences as a student here at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your journey to becoming a PharmD!
Sincerely,
Chelsea
ΚΨ Family: L-R my twin’s little, one of my littles, my big, me, and my twin