Winter Fun in Columbus

Hi Everyone,

The heart of winter is upon us, and if you are anything like me, you may find yourself lacking the motivation to get out and explore Columbus when it is so cold out. However, the winter months don’t have to mean sitting at home watching Netflix—Columbus still has plenty of fun things to do! I have compiled a short list of activities to inspire you this winter!

  1. Visit The Book Loft. Located in German Village, this cozy book store has 32 different rooms of books at bargain prices. Pick up a new book (or five) with a few friends, grab a coffee or hot chocolate and enjoy a relaxing weekend morning!
  2. Speaking of coffee, the Columbus Coffee Trail is a great option to get out and explore! Columbus has one of the best coffee scenes in the Midwest and the Coffee Trail offers tons of great ideas for new places to try. Find it here http://www.cbuscoffee.com.
  3. During December, there are all sorts of fun lights and holiday festivals. Wildlights takes place at the Columbus Zoo, Franklin Park Conservatory is decked out in seasonal foliage and twinkling lights, and the Short North and German Village are decorated for the Holidays and often have holiday treats and specials.
  4. Attend a Blue Jackets game. The Columbus Blue Jackets are our professional hockey team in town, and attending games is always a great time (even if you aren’t a hockey fanatic)! Located in the Arena District there are also fun restaurants to check out before and after the game.
  5. While better known for our football team, Ohio State Men’s Basketball team is also premiere and attending games is a great way to spend an evening (or afternoon). The Nut House is the student section for basketball and does a great job of getting students excited for the game. You can also get discounted student tickets and great seats with friends!
  6. If sports aren’t your thing, check out a show in the Theater District—The Palace, The Southern, The Lincoln and The Ohio offer everything from ballet to plays to music and theater performances. If that’s not enough, the Wexner Center for the Arts also puts on frequent shows to enjoy.
  7. Get creative at the Candle Lab, Clay Cafe or Studio 614. There are plenty of paint classes, make your own candle studios and many more creative endeavors all around Columbus.

I hope this has given you some inspiration this winter! Get out an enjoy Columbus and all it has to offer with friends.

Cassie

P1 PharmD Curriculum and Study Tips

Hi everyone!

What I really appreciate about how the PharmD program at OSU teaches students is its employment of a module-based curriculum. This is a little different from how coursework was traditionally set up in undergrad, where you took multiple courses at once throughout the whole semester.  What you’re probably used to is simultaneously taking 4-5 courses a semester—which most likely differs in subject matter and having to take multiple exams in one week.

However, the module-based curriculum consists of coursework set up in blocks—where for a certain period of time, you will only focus on one class at a time consisting of weekly or bi-weekly exams. In P1 (first year), your first week starts off with a transition course that’ll be your stepping stone into integrating the professional PharmD curriculum. The next few weeks will be a course on pharmacy administration, the U.S healthcare system, and pharmacy law along with the corresponding lab and IPPE (part-time professional pharmacy experience based on coursework). The subject matter for each block of coursework varies, but essentially the same model is employed.

A normal week for a P1 student will consist of a morning portion of class starting at 8:30-11:20am and an afternoon portion from 12:30pm-3:30pm (later or earlier) every day of the week. Mondays and Wednesdays are reserved for lab and/or workshop; you are assigned a morning or afternoon lab. Wednesdays are especially unique because that is the when workshop takes place—a smaller class size to help reinforce content learned throughout the week. If you are assigned a Monday morning lab, then your afternoon can be reserved for your IPPE—which consists of geriatric and community pharmacy experiences. Having a schedule designed as such, could mean a half-day of class or no class on Mondays. Although this seems like free-time, it is wise to schedule this time to study course-work—as it can be easy to fall behind on lectures if you don’t keep up.

Keep in mind, the gaps in your schedule do not necessarily mean that you have this time to do nothing, it’s the time you should be using to study. Setting up a study schedule is really crucial to your success in the PharmD program throughout your time here—especially with the amount of content presented in a single lecture. This fast-pace nature of content presentation is a one of the key differences between coursework in undergrad and a professional program. This might sound like an exaggeration but trying to survive without a calendar or planner will be a tough. It is central to keeping track of deadlines and most importantly, making time to study. Find somewhere that works for you, sometimes all it takes to get started and to actually have a successful study session is the environment—some of my usual spots include the Health Sciences Library, Biological Sciences/ Pharmacy Library, or Starbucks near campus. It is also helpful to create a study group—everyone exhibits varying strengths in their knowledge base, which is helpful in learning content in a different manner. Also, don’t hesitate to make friends in the classes ahead of you (P2, P3) and ask for study tips for different professors.

Most importantly; with all that studying, don’t forget to take a break. Eat a snack, watch a YouTube video, whatever it takes for your mind to rest before you have to start studying again. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Lastly, remember to have fun! Go Bucks!

Winter Break in Columbus

 

Hi everyone!
Winter break is always something students look forward to. Its an entire month to relax, catch up with friends, celebrate the Holidays, and prepare your mind for the next semester. Over the past years I ‘ve spent break doing just that, however this year I stayed in Columbus. This was my first time staying here during break but it’s Columbus, the city is huge and theres a lot to do. Here’s a list of what I did.

Buck I Serv
I spent the first week of break participating as an advisor for Buck I Serv, our alternative break program. We spent a day as tourists in New Orleans, this was my first time ever in NOLA. We explored the French quarter and had beignets. Then we headed to Biloxi Mississippi to volunteer at the local boys and girls club and to aid in restoration of wildlife areas damage by Hurricane Katrina. This was a great experience, I met a lot of new friends, had a mini vacation in New Orleans, and got to help a community in need. I highly recommend buck I serv if you’re looking for something to do over break.

Buckeye Football
On New Year’s Day, I watched the Buckeyes beat the Huskies and win the Rose Bowl. Its always a fun time watching the team win Championships. This year was even Coach Urban Meyer’s last game, so it was a great feeling to see him go out with a win. I would have loved to actually go to the game but watching on TV was equally as entertaining. You can always count on the Buckeyes to be in a New Year’s Bowl Game. Go Bucks!

New restaurant
A New York style bagel shop called The Lox opened over break. Being a food blogger, I had to go check it out. I have no idea what a New York bagel is or how it’s different from other bagels but it was delicious. I ended up going twice. I tried their breakfast sandwich and a bagel with their beet and thyme cream cheese. There’s always new restaurants opening near campus so if you’re a foodie like me, you will always have something to do.

Back to School
I spent the last few days of break prepping for school. We had some homework due on the first day and I figured I could get my pre-lab for the first week out of the way. It was nice to be able to catch up and get ahead before the semester begins.

So this is how I spent my winter break. It may not look like much but I had a ton of fun and really enjoyed every moment of it. There’s a lot more to do here but spending 40 hours on a bus for Buck I Serv the first week had me a bit exhausted. If you ever decide to stay here for break, I’m sure you’ll find something to do that you enjoy.