To Work or Not to Work

Hey guys!

Are you deciding whether or not to work? Are you thinking that it might be too much with school? Then this post might be for you! (Did I sound too much like an infomercial? Woops!)

Deciding to work is entirely up to you! Don’t expect to be able to support yourself through school by working. Do expect to gain knowledge and experience through working. Working should be supplemental to your education. You can utilize the knowledge that you are learning while at your jobs.

When you decide, really look at everything you are taking on throughout the year and if you think you can handle the extra work! You have classes, studying, PD hours, CHS hours, studying, social time, organization activities, studying, and more studying! It is 100% okay to not work, but it is also 100% okay to work. You need to make sure you are on top of the important things (aka passing classes to get that PharmD).

I personally chose not to work my first year, but I’m pretty sure at least half my class was working! My main reason was because I worked a lot throughout my undergrad, and I really wanted to adjust to the schoolwork and being away from home. Another reason why I did this was because I really wanted a hospital internship. I found that I really missed working, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with what little free time we had. I’m so glad that I waited and got my internship because I absolutely love it!

Now, regardless if you are working or not, get your CV updated! It is so important, especially if you decide to apply for an internship while in the middle of studying for exams. If you are unsure of formatting and everything, here are a couple links to things that may help. One for your CV, one for your cover letter, andddd one last one for a resume (but know that CVs are more relevant)!

Thanks for reading! I hope I was a bit helpful! As always, contact us if you have any questions as all!

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College of Pharmacy Student Organizations

Pharmacy Council

Website: Carmen website, under “ongoing” – P1 students will be given access

Purpose Statement: We are an umbrella organization for all student pharmacy organizations and classes. We serve as the liaison between student organizations and between students and faculty. We organize fundraising, oversee class events, provide social interactions, and assist in recruitment events.

Why Join: Every student is already a member of Pharmacy Council! Our general body meetings are every other Thursday in Parks 107 during professional hour (11:30-12:30), and are open to all members of the College of Pharmacy. Leadership opportunities are definitely available to P1s—each class elects a president, vice president, secretary/treasurer, two class representatives, PharmD representative, and IPC representative.  P1 elections will take place at the beginning of the school year.

 

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)

Website: http://amcposu.weebly.com/

Purpose Statement:  The purpose of AMCP is to provide students with an overview of managed care pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry as potential career paths. The OSU AMCP chapter shares the national organization’s mission of providing accurate and cost effective healthcare measures for patients. It combines clinical aspects of medications with sound business and economic models to make decisions for populations of patients.

Major activities:

-Pharmacy & Therapeutics Competition (2 elective credit hours)

-Managed Care Panel

-Future in 4 Minutes Networking Event (collaboration with APhA)

-Medicare Part D Presentations

-Managed Care and Industry Guest Speakers

Why Join:

AMCP is a great organization to be involved in! Our goal is to help you explore areas of pharmacy that are new and innovative. The ability to combine clinical knowledge with business rationale allows pharmacist to provide care to populations of patients and make an impact on a bigger scale. As students, we are rarely exposed to managed care pharmacy in the curriculum so AMCP tries to fill this gap by providing informative meetings and bringing guest speakers in the field to shed some light into this emerging field of pharmacy. If you have an interest in business, industry, or research, AMCP can provide you with the knowledge and connections to find the career path in pharmacy that is best suited for you!

 

American Pharmacist Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP)

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/aphaasposu/

Purpose Statement: The mission of the American Pharmacists – Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) is to be the collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, and to envision and actively promote the future of pharmacy.

Major Activities: Career fair, American Pharmacists Month, Operation Immunization, Operation Heart, Operation Diabetes, and many more

Why Join: APhA-ASP offers numerous opportunities for students to reach out into their community and practice what they have learned in the classroom through our 9 Patient Care Projects as well as many different professional development opportunities. These opportunities bring us into all different age groups and areas of the community ranging from elementary aged children to the elderly to the underprivileged.

 

The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)

Website: https://www.ascp.com/

Purpose Statement: ASCP members manage and improve drug therapy and improve the quality of life of geriatric paents and other individuals residing in a variety of environments, including nursing facilities, subacute care and assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, hospice programs, and home and community-based care. In addition, pharmacy student members of ASCP demonstrate their identification with and support of ASCP’s mission and vision to serve seniors wherever they reside.

Major activities: Fracture risk assessments for seniors, generationRx presentations on medication management, ASCP social, and meetings on various topics of senior care and consultant pharmacy.

Why Join: As one of the smaller organizations in the college, we are a close-knit group of people passionate about senior care and consultant pharmacy. Come find out more about the issues facing older adults, the most complex patients in America, while enjoying good food during our meetings every other Wednesday!

 

Buckeyes Without Borders

Website: https://www.facebook.com/BuckeyesWithoutBorders

Purpose Statement: BWB is a Graduate/Professional Global Health Student Organization which brings together 10 different health care programs at OSU to spread awareness and better global health locally, regionally, and internationally.

Major activities:

-Nicaragua Medical Brigade

-Rwanda Service Trip

-Health Professionals Summit

-Panel Discussions

-Monthly Dinners

Why Join: Not only does Buckeyes Without Borders give you an opportunity to travel abroad and volunteer, in this organization, you can better patient care for those in need while gaining experience working in interprofessional groups.

 

 

The College of Pharmacy Chili Cook-Off at The Ohio State University

Website: hp://osuchilicookoff.weebly.com

Purpose Statement: The purpose of the Chili Cook-Off is to bring together students, staff and faculty at The Ohio State University in order to organize and produce an annual event that benefits a local charity. Through bringing people together in the Ohio State Community for a common cause, the Chili Cook-Off is also designed to raise awareness for social issues by holding events throughout the year. With numerous informational and fundraising events, the Chili Cook-Off unifies its members with a focus on their common purpose.

Major activities:

-Annual chili cook-off

-3-on-3 basketball tournament

-Trivia quiz night

-Corn hole tournament, and more

Why Join: The Chili Cook-off allows students to organize an event that brings together students, staff, and faculty at The Ohio State University as well as the Columbus community. This is a great way to give back to the community and support a local charity. As a member, you will have the opportunity to build relationships with other students, staff/faculty, alumni, local business people, and other important community members. Multiple leadership positions will be available each year.

 

 

Generation Rx Collaborative

Website: http://www.pharmacy.ohio-state.edu/outreach/generation-rx-initiative

Co-Advisors Name & email: Ken Hale (Hale.3@osu.edu), Nicole Kwiek (Kwiek.1@osu.edu)

Description: The Generation Rx Collaborative will function as a collaboration of Generation Rx initiatives within existing student organizations at The Ohio State University, and serve as a conduit through which interested students can get involved in Generation Rx activities. The mission of our organization is to enhance medication safety amongst various populations and to fight the increasing misuse and abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs through educational prevention, both locally and globally.

Why Join? The Generation Rx Collaborative is a great way for students to create their own project ideas (or participate in our numerous existing projects) to combat prescription drug abuse and spread awareness across OSU, Columbus, and potentially statewide/nationwide. Our organization will only be able to thrive and make a difference with the help of a group of passionate students that want to make an impact. If you share this passion, please join The Generation Rx Collaborative! We would love to hear your ideas and help execute your vision on how we can help spread awareness to help educate the public on the growing prescription drug abuse/misuse epidemic.

 

Kappa Psi

www.osukappapsixi.weebly.com

Purpose Statement: Our fraternity strives to advance the profession of Pharmacy educationally, fraternally, and socially. Our objective is to conduct a fraternal organization for the mutual benefit of the brothers and our profession. We instill the ideals of our fraternity, industry, sobriety, fellowship, and high ideals throughout our daily lives. We help serve the Columbus metro area through community projects and events. We learn from our past, ourselves, and our peers, while passing on the great tradition of Kappa Psi to future brothers.

Major activities: Helping Hands Clinic, Fall/Spring Province Assembly, Color Run, Rush events

Why Join: Kappa Psi is an organization that is built on brotherhood. We gather to build life-long relationships that flourish inside and out of the classroom/workplace. Kappa Psi is also the organization of organizations. We gather students from all facets of the pharmacy profession and unite to promote each other and the projects we work on. This is a group that you’ll belong to beyond professional school. Kappa Psi for life.

 

P.A.C.E. (Pharmacist and Academics for Communication in English)

Purpose Statement: P.A.C.E. is a student-run organization which is dedicated to helping non-native and native English speakers practice and improve their professional conversation skills in English through health and academic topics essential for the pharmacy profession. P.A.C.E. aims to help pharmacy and graduate students build confidence in effective communication, both in patient care and interprofessional settings, practice correct pronunciation of health care terms, explore different communication styles and techniques, and improve constructive feedback skills.

Major activities: Conversation Partners, General Body Meetings, Local Ethics, Group Dinners

Why Join: P.A.C.E. is a great way to improve your communication skills and learn from other students from different backgrounds and different years in pharmacy school. Each member is a part of a conversation group that meets weekly and discusses various topics. Together we better our communication and expand our knowledge to better our patients.

 

 

Phi Lambda Sigma National Pharmacy Leadership Society (PLS)

Website: national website: http://www.philambdasigma.org/

Email: pls.osu@gmail.com

Advisor name and email: Dr Bella Mehta; mehta.6@osu.edu

Purpose Statement: Phi Lambda Sigma is The National Pharmacy Leadership Society. Our mission is to support pharmacy leadership commitment by recognizing leaders and fostering leadership development.

Our Goals:

  1. Promote opportunities and rewards for leadership in the profession of pharmacy
  2. Acknowledge leadership achievement and award membership to leaders recommended by the society
  3. Enhance the talent, skill, and effectiveness of leaders for the profession of pharmacy
  4. Support and encourage sustained leadership commitment

Major activities: PLS holds an annual leadership symposium to help students develop and strengthen their own leadership skills and styles. To supplement the symposium we will be hosting other events and bringing in speakers throughout the year to discuss their leadership stories and different approaches to leadership.

Why Join: Leadership has become one of the most important attributes to success in both your professional and personal lives. PLS provides an environment for you to explore different leadership styles, develop your skills, and network with the other future leaders of pharmacy.

 

PODEMOS

Website: podemosu.org

Purpose Statement: PODEMOS is an inter-professional organization focused on providing medical care to rural villages in Honduras by sending medical, pharmacy, and dental students on medical brigades twice a year. Throughout the year PODEMOS holds a variety of events to raise money to support our trips.

Major activities: International medical brigades, Fundraising Events and Socials

Why Join: PODEMOS provides a unique opportunity for students to utilize their knowledge of pharmacy to help provide care to underserved populations in Honduras. Students get the chance to work alongside medical students, dental students, and medical providers to enrich their own knowledge and make professional connections. PODEMOS also provides a range of leadership opportunities for members to get more involved in the organization.

 

OSU Rho Chi Society-Upsilon

Advisor: Dr. Nahata, nahata.1@osu.edu

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/rhochiosu/

Purpose Statement: Rho Chi society encourages and recognizes excellence in intellectual achievement and fosters fellowship among its members. Further, the society encourages high standards of conduct and character and advocates critical inquiry in all aspects of pharmacy. The society further encourages high standards of conduct and character and fosters fellowship among its members. The society seeks universal recognition of its members as lifelong intellectual leaders in pharmacy, and as a community of scholars, to instill the desire to pursue intellectual excellence and critical inquiry to advance the profession.

Major Activities: P1-P4 survival guides, Mentor-mentee program, Pocket guides

Why Join: Rho Chi is built upon academic and experiential achievement. Students are selected amongst their peers to be invited into the society. It is a great honor to receive recognition and should be strived for throughout the P1 and P2 year. Members of the society work together to help other classmates, develop leadership skills, and provide a means for fundraising and developing different ideas.

 

Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA)

Website:  www.snpha.org.ohio-state.edu

Purpose Statement: SNPhA’s mission is embracing diversity to serve the underserved

Major activities: SNPhA Carnival, Shot@Life Champion Summit, Asian Health Fair, Walmart/Sam’s Club Health Fair, Culture Potluck

Why Join: With over 10 health initiatives, SNPhA truly is all encompassing to every realm of pharmacy. Just in this last year, SNPhA participated in over 50 events, serving over 2000 patients. From heart health, to diabetes, to immunization, to community outreach, SNPhA provides every opportunity to get involved and become a leader, including creating a health initiative of your own. Not only will you grow to love our passion to serve, but will also find in SNPhA, we are family.

 

OSU-SSHP Student Society of Health-System Pharmacy

Website https://sites.google.com/site/sshpohiostate/

Purpose Statement:

To make students aware of the areas in pharmacy practice in health care settings

Encourage proper use of medicines in the general public

Encourage members to participate in the activities of the local (COSHP), state (OSHP), and national organizations (ASHP) of health-system pharmacy

Promote participation in service activities throughout the community and encourage student participation in professional development activities

Major activities:

Clinical Skills Competition

Mock Residency Interviews

Midyear to Match Series

Pie-A-Professor

Residency 101

Why Join: Joining SSHP will behoove you by providing several networking based programming as well as professional development opportunities. For example, we hold monthly CE dinners with our local affiliate chapter, COSHP. With an SSHP membership, your meal is free and the chance to meet local pharmacists is priceless. If you are considering residency this is definitely the group for you. SSHP aims to give its members the tools and skills needed to land a spot post graduation. Not sure about residency or even what area of pharmacy you would like to practice? Attend our general body meetings to hear about exciting prospects in this field from hospital specialty pharmacists, residents, and many more! Our members are more than happy to answer questions – do not hesitate to find out more of what SSHP can do for you!

 

Talent Show Association (TSA)

Contact information for membership: Meghan Nestleroth (nestleroth.3)

Purpose Statement: To promote growth and relationships between faculty, staff, and students through the production of an annual talent show.

Major activities: Annual Talent Show

Why Join: You should consider joining because we are a small organization that you can easily get involved with and have your voice heard. We are a fun group of people who work hard to showcase the talented people of our college. Every year, the funds raised from the talent show are donated to a local pharmacy related charity of our choice. By joining TSA, you can help provide healthcare to those who cannot afford it.

 

The Ohio State University Chapter of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines

Website: uaem.org

Purpose Statement: UAEM serves nationally and at Ohio State to promote access to medicines and medical innovations in low- and middle- income countries by changing norms and pracces around academic patenting and licensing, ensure that university medical research meets the needs of people worldwide and empower students to respond to the access and innovaon crisis.

Why Join: As committed students from all over the world who passionately believe in social justice and health equity, we find it unacceptable that millions of people do not have access to essential medicines. We are particularly concerned about people in developing countries who disproportionately affected by the access to medicines crisis. Universities have a social pact with society and, as educational and research institutions, they have a responsibility to promote and manage the deployment of innovations for the public benefit. In no field are the moral imperatives to do so as clear as they are in medicine.

 

Vaccinate Knowledge

Contact information for membership:  “Daniel” Min Chul Shin at shin.277@osu.edu or vaccinateknowledge@gmail.com

Purpose Statement: To promote growth and relationships between faculty, staff, and students through the production of an annual talent show.

Major activities: Currently creating an infograph and distributing information using a social media website

Why Join: The number of people who are refusing vaccination, either for themselves or their children are growing every day. To combat this issue, many people have sent out their own message on why people should vaccinate. While in good intention, many of these messages are just too aggressive. Vaccinate Knowledge is an organization with two purposes.
1. To discover new ways to reinsure that vaccine is safe and effective. These messages should be educational, catchy, simple and welcoming.
2. To help students prepare (or vaccinate) with knowledge of vaccination, so that they can discuss with patients about any questions he or she may have.
Another smaller purpose is a program used to target student population at Ohio State. Students at the Ohio State have low vaccination rate.

 

Veterinary Pharmacy Alliance (VPA)

Why Join: We are a brand new interprofessional organization between the Colleges of Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine. The goal is to educate veterinary students and pharmacy students about each professions’ training as it pertains to veterinary pharmaceutical care. These two professions have more contact than most think, particularly in the community and compounding pharmacy settings.

 

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Start of the School Year!

It’s that time again! This week begins a new academic year here at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, and there’s certainly a lot of excitement. I personally love this time– there’s that promise for the new year! I can begin marking up my planner, creating a new routine, catching up with my classmates, and meeting new students. I really enjoy thinking about what this new year will offer.

So what’s going on at the college? We’ve officially wrapped up orientations for the first-year PharmD students (P1s), and it was a week chock-full of information and punctuated with icebreakers, campus tours, and an etiquette luncheon. Orientation culminated at the White Coat Ceremony where P1s received their coats, signifying the beginning of their professional education. It was truly an exciting event.

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This week brings it all together.

Monday

    9:30am begins the college’s Student Organization Fair. The many different professional student organizations will set up booths in the Biological Sciences/Pharmacy Libary (BPL). Everyone will have the opportunity to check out the different organizations, learn more about them, and find out what they think best suits their interests. There is so much to take in, and this is really a great way to see what is offered.

    After the organization fair, this is the perfect time to swing by the annual Welcome Back Picnic at the Women’s Field House, 11:30am. There will be plenty of delicious cook-out food, and it’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect and to make new connections with others at the college.

    I also recommend checking out Buck-i-Frenzy afterwards, just nearby at the RPAC. It’s a massive event with some cool giveaways, but it is definitely not for the claustrophobic since any students from The Ohio State University may make their way through.

Tuesday

    Classes start today!

Wednesday

    APhA-ASP (American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists) is kicking off the year with their first meeting during professional hour (11:30-12:30), and then later that evening as well. APhA’s Welcome Back social takes place at the Pint House at 8:00pm. Socials like this are a very casual and friendly way to learn more about the organization and where you might find your niche in pharmacy.

    If you’ve a little time, it may also be worth checking out the movie on the Oval on Wednesday night at 8:00pm. There will be a giant projector screen showing the most recent Avengers movie, and students are welcome to bring a blanket and plop down on the grass to watch the show.

Friday

    The OUAB (Ohio Union Activity Board) Grad/Prof Welcome Picnic is at the Faculty Club beginning at 4:00pm– just in case you’re craving more cook-out.

    AMCP’s Welcome Back Social is 4:30-6:30 at Miller’s Ale House.

Socials continue into the following week even with SNPhA’s Welcome Back Carnival at Fred Beekman Park 3:30-6:30 on August 31. Afterwards at 7:00, SSHP is going to a Clippers baseball game at Huntington Park.

There is so much going on at this time of year and so many ways to get to meet new people. You can learn more about the college and different organizations, make new friends, and begin to find where you want to make your mark at the university.

Take care, and I wish you another great year!

A quick guide to Pharmcas!

Hey Everyone!

When applying to pharmacy school, you’re most likely going to be using Pharmcas. Pharmcas is an online application site that most pharmacy schools use. Here is a quick checklist to help you prepare your application.

  1. Go to www.pharmcas.com and create a Pharmcas login account
  2. Contact your college to obtain your transcripts. Use the Pharmcas Transcript Request Form to help you organize this. Be sure to include ALL transcripts if you attended multiple institutions. If possible, request a personal copy for step 3.
  3. After you have obtained your personal transcript, enter all of your coursework into Pharmcas. When doing this you must calculate your GPA, but don’t worry there is a tutorial on their website to help you 🙂
  4. If you have taken the PCAT already, find your PCAT CID and enter it. If you have not taken the PCAT yet,  you will receive this ID afterwards.
  5. Once you have found your references (you can have up to 4) enter their information under the references tab. Be sure to let them know they will be receiving an email from Pharmcas where they will submit the letter electronically.
  6. Check the deadlines for the colleges that you want to apply to because they are all different. Be sure to submit your payment and application before this deadline!
  7. Check your email frequently for reminders from Pharmcas. Most Pharmacy Schools will also be sending you supplemental applications in your email that you must complete by the deadline as well.
  8. If you are still taking classes, don’t forget to update that information once you are finished and send in your transcript to Pharmcas!
  9. Please save a copy of your application on your computer or print it just in case 🙂
  10. Check Pharmcas at least once a week after you have submitted your application to check on it’s progress.

Please don’t be scared by all of this information, once you login you will find that Pharmcas is easy to navigate and there are many tutorials to help you complete your application properly. I suggest starting your application the earliest time possible as it may take you awhile to complete. This will also give your references more time to submit their letters 🙂 If you have any other questions please feel free to email me at johnson.4816@osu.edu . Good luck and congratulations on taking your first step towards pharmacy school!

 

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Overview of the Profession: What is Pharmacy?

According to the Ohio Revised Code, the practice of pharmacy means…

“Providing pharmacist care requiring specialized knowledge, judgment, and skill derived from the principles of biological, chemical, behavioral, social, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences.”

Then, how is “pharmacist care” defined in the State of Ohio?

Pharmacist Care

  • Interpreting prescriptions
  • Dispensing drugs and drug therapy related devices
  • Compounding drugs
  • Counseling individuals with regard to their drug therapy, recommending drug therapy related devices
  • Assisting in the selection of drugs and appliances for treatment of common diseases and injuries
  • Providing instruction in the proper use of the drugs and appliances
  • Performing drug regimen reviews with individuals
    • Discusses all of the drugs that the individual is taking
    • Explaining interactions between drugs
  • Performing drug utilization reviews (DURs)
    • Occurs when the pharmacist determines that an individual with a prescription has a drug regimen that warrants additional discussion with the prescriber
  • Advising an individualized therapy
  • Acting pursuant to a consult agreement with a physician to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery, if an agreement has been established with the physician
  • Engaging in the administration of immunizations

What is Pharmacist Provider Status?

  • Pharmacists are currently not listed as providers in Medicare Part B
  • This limits Medicare beneficiaries from being covered for pharmacy services in outpatient pharmacy settings, and limits pharmacists from being compensated for their services
  • Achieving provider status is important because pharmacists play an important role in improving patient health outcomes and reducing overall healthcare costs
  • Without provider status, the beneficial services that pharmacists provide are less accessible to patients
  • Currently, there is a movement to win provider status for pharmacists in the US

As a Pharmacy Student, What is the Role of a Pharmacy Intern?

Assisting a pharmacist with technical functions, perform the following professional functions under the direct supervision of a pharmacist:

  • Sale of schedule V controlled substances
  • Receipt of oral prescriptions
  • Transfer of a prescription copy
  • The act of patient counseling pursuant to paragraph
  • Administration of approved immunizations
  • Documentation of informed consent to administer immunizations

Potential Career Pathways

  • Community
  • Hospital
  • Mail Order
  • Managed Care
  • Academic
  • Consultant
  • Home Infusion
  • Anticoagulation
  • Integrative
  • Nuclear
  • Federal

Board Certified Pharmacy Specialties

  • Ambulatory Care
  • Critical Care Pharmacy
  • Nuclear Pharmacy
  • Nutrition Support Pharmacy
  • Oncology Pharmacy
  • Pediatric Pharmacy
  • Pharmacotherapy
  • Psychiatric Pharmacy

The above lists aren’t comprehensive, and the opportunities for pharmacists are endless!  Contact me at zhang.1177@osu.edu with any questions! 🙂

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