Month: February 2017

Operation Heart: American Heart Month

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Hey Future Buckeyes!

I know in the past we have mentioned different student organizations that you are able to join while in pharmacy school at Ohio State. One organization that I am currently in is APhA-ASP otherwise known as American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. Through this organization, I have been able to find what I am passionate about and channel that passion to help others. I currently serve as a Co-Chair for Operation Heart, which is a patient care project dedicated to cardiovascular health. Through this project, I have been able to organize and volunteer at many different events in the past three years so I thought I’d show you a few 🙂

This past month (February) was American Heart Month, a month that is dedicated specifically to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases nationwide. To show our support, Ohio State’s APhA-ASP’s Operation Heart decided to organize some events in our college reminding students, faculty, and staff why their heart health is important.

February 3rd was national Wear Red Day for Women and this year was the 14th anniversary for Wear Red Day! This day is held the first Friday of every February to raise awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women. Students at Ohio State participated in Wear Red Day and even took a picture to share their support.

Operation Heart has also been doing blood pressure screenings throughout the month to raise awareness in the community regarding the dangers of high blood pressure and the risks associated with it. Our most recent screening was at a food bank in downtown Columbus where we all wore red to support Wear Red Day.Lastly, Operation Heart decided to show some love to the students at the college and give them all valentines, which consisted of heart “healthy” dark chocolate 🙂

Although February is recognized as American Heart Month, in my eyes every month is heart month. Cardiovascular disease is one that has affected my life personally and I hope to continue to raise awareness about. Joining this student organization has allowed me to find my passion and has given me the power to fuel it. Ohio State has over 20 student organizations just within the College of Pharmacy, so I am confident that whatever your passion is, you’ll be able to fuel it here too 🙂

As always please feel free to email me with any questions you may have at johnson.4816@osu.edu

 

Go Bucks!

Why OSU: Joyce Zhang

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It was June 14, 2015, and I was afraid.  I’m the planning type of person and I didn’t really have a plan.  I was boarding a plane for San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and in that moment I wondered, “What am I doing?”  A few months earlier, I stood at the intersection of Moral Dilemma Junction while I debated a vacation in Iceland versus a medical mission trip.  I hardly knew anyone else going to Honduras or how to take a blood pressure, and I didn’t know what to expect.

I’m a third-year PharmD student and a future pharmacist.  I’m also a sister, daughter, and friend.  I’m a midwesterner and a dog lover.  I am who I love and who loves me.  I’m a connector of people, a traveler, a learner.  I’m an idealistic, visionary sort, and I have an obsession with opportunity.  OSU College of Pharmacy has offered me opportunities beyond my dreams.  I didn’t know it when I boarded that plane to Honduras, but I am passionate about serving underprivileged, low-income populations.  I’ve since been to Honduras three times and Nicaragua once for medical brigades.  I’m leading my first medical brigade next month in March, and I’m going on my first surgical brigade in Ayacucho, Peru this June.

So me if you were to ask me, was Honduras what you expected?  I will probably say “No,” but if you were to ask me if it was worth it?  I would say “Holy yes!” to the things in life that are intangible and waiting to be experienced and learned.

I’m forever thankful for OSU College of Pharmacy for the chance to go abroad and learn to listen to and care for patients, practice cultural awareness, and work directly with talented, diverse, multidisciplinary teams.  Thanks, OSU, for letting me give back.  Thank you for letting me give an old man prednisone for his life-threatening temporal arteritis.  Give a woman the metformin she needs to control her diabetes but can’t afford.  Give a boy a warm touch, a smile to help him through the incision and drainage of a large abscess under his arm.  Thank you, OSU, for the opportunity to simply meet a little girl from El Progreso, Honduras, who has cerebral palsy.  This little girl, who I will love forever.

Dear prospective students, thank you for taking the time to look at our PharmD blog.  The OSU College of Pharmacy has over 20 different student organizations you can join to either actively pursue your passions or explore to find your passions.  Start reading about them here.

If you have any questions for me, please feel free to email me at zhang.1177@osu.edu!

Joyce Zhang is currently a third-year PharmD student at The Ohio State University. She enjoys volunteering at local free clinics, providing healthcare to underserved populations on medical brigades to Nicaragua and Honduras, photography, running and hiking, and drinking tea. She is currently president of Buckeyes Without Borders, president of the PharmD Class of 2018, a Student Ambassador Coordinator, and a member of Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS) leadership society, PODEMOS, and Kappa Psi.

Columbus in the Winter

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Hello!

If you are coming to Ohio from another city or state, you might be wondering what you may be able to do in Columbus during the Winter! As much as I would love to cuddle up with my puppy, I love getting out of my apartment and taking a break from studying. Columbus does offer so many different activities, but let me highlight some that I have done!

Columbus Winter Hike

One thing I love to do is hike! Being from Arizona, hiking was a mainstay activity in the winter. You can hike basically any time in the winter, and you will never worry about being too cold.

Ohio does a (long) series of winter hikes. I was very hesitant about hiking in Columbus in the winter. I love hiking during the summer, fall, and spring here, but really? The winter? Well, my boyfriend and I packed up our puppy, and went on a winter adventure. First of all, it was freezing cold (not surprising). Don’t make the same mistake that I did and wear tennis shoes — please be sure to wear warm boots with warm socks! To my surprise, there were so many people participating! It was great bringing my puppy, Cooper, because it allowed us to get to talk to so many people. At the end of the hike, we joined the celebration and drank some delicious hot cocoa. 🙂 It was definitely such a fun experience, but I will be definitely waiting for the hikes on warmer days! I would highly recommend to get your body moving after a long studying session, and a winter hike may be the perfect remedy. The cold definitely encouraged me to move faster 🙂

COSHP Wine Tasting

Each year, COSHP (Central Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists) puts together a wine tasting/networking event. Why is this event my favorite winter activity? You learn so much about different wines – this year the focus was on South American wines. You get to network and speak with many different health-system pharmacists around the Columbus area. You get to eat some delicious food where each course is paired with wine.

The main purpose of the wine tasting is to raise funds for PharmD scholarships! There are always a variety of baskets to bid on (and I always get outbid).

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture at the wine tasting this year, so I used the picture from last year!

COSHP Wine Tasting 2016

Yoga and Hockey

I recently attended a yoga class held at Nationwide Arena, and then the Columbus Blue Jackets game right after! Modo Yoga is a studio in Grandview area, and it is one of my favorite studios. It’s heated yoga, so going to a class in a cold environment was definitely something knew. So many people came out, and it was an amazing class. Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets lost that night, but the experience was awesome! I would highly recommend attending this event if happens again, and checking out Modo Yoga! Say hi to Chad and Elizabeth (owners of Modo Yoga) for me if you go. 🙂

By the cannon after yoga with Chad and Elizabeth

OHIO

I hope you find some fun things to do in Columbus in the winter!

Why I Chose OSU: Megan Johnson :)

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Hey Future Buckeyes!

 

Today I wanted to talk to you about why I chose The Ohio State University for NOT only my Bachelor’s degree, but my Doctor of Pharmacy degree as well. In high school when I was trying to decide which college was best for me, I have to admit that Ohio State was not one of my top choices (I know, shocker!). Coming from a VERY small town, I was intimidated by the size of the university and the large amount of people that attended Ohio State. I did not want my college education to consist of being “just a number” with no hope of developing relationships and connections. However, my biggest fear was that I would not succeed here because I would not get the individualized experience that I wanted. I knew that I wanted to feel a sense of belonging wherever I chose and I did not think I would get that at Ohio State’s large campus. Doing what moms do best, mine convinced me to take a tour of OSU’s campus and meet with an advisor. Needless to say after a tour of the beautiful campus and talking to current students, I absolutely fell in love. I can still picture that day on campus and thinking “Wow everyone really loves it here don’t they?” I felt a sense of energy, passion, love and excitement in the air, which I still feel today.

Flash forward 7 years to my third year in the PharmD program, I can say with 100 % confidence that Ohio State University was the right fit for me. My educational experience has been nothing short of phenomenal the past 7 years! I believe that Ohio State has allowed me to find what I am passionate about, expand my comfort zones, and find that sense of belonging I was looking for. All of my apprehensions about attending OSU were put to rest within my first few weeks of undergrad. Since day one, I have felt that I am part of a community that truly cares for one another. I have developed relationships with my professors and staff and have found some of my best friends here. Ohio State has provided me with once in a lifetime opportunities such as working with world-renowned healthcare providers to study abroad trips (I’ve been to Switzerland and I’m going to London this spring :D)

Along with that, Ohio State’s PharmD program is continuously ranked in the top 10 pharmacy schools in the nation. Between our medical campus with multiple professional schools, affordable tuition, breaking edge research, endless internship opportunities, and 20+ student organizations, it’s easy to see why. Ohio State continues to amaze me every single day. Like I mentioned before, I have been provided with some amazing opportunities throughout the past 7 years. Some of these include volunteering at free health clinics, interacting with professional state level pharmacy organizations, and learning from board certified pharmacists at the James Cancer Hospital. This past month I have been on rotations at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which is a pediatric hospital unique to Columbus. And this is just to name a few 🙂

Choosing Ohio State was easily the best decision of my life and has truly shaped me into who I am today. These are just a few reasons why I chose this amazing university and I encourage you to ask questions regarding “finding the right fit” for you! Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions at Johnson.4816@osu.edu 🙂

Go bucks!