By Steve Vivona
Last year Vibhuti Arya, a fifth-year student in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, was elected President of
the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists
(APhA-ASP). Since then she has spent an extremely busy year making
presentations, attending conferences, drafting policy, listening to
the concerns of members, while still attending to her own course
work and considering the future.
Ms. Arya noted that APhA is the largest representative
organization for pharmacists in the country and the only such
organization that allows its student academy to be part of its
House of Delegates. Part of her group’s mission is to represent the
collective voice of student pharmacists in discussing their cares
and concerns.
Serving a two-year term she has spent the last year with the
official title of “President-Elect,” and will be officially
inaugurated as President in April of this year. Ms. Arya explained
that much of her time has been spent visiting member schools giving
presentations and rendering any assistance they require. “We’re
there to serve our peers in many different ways,” she stressed,
adding that “it’s definitely an intense experience but very
rewarding.”
Ms. Arya represents an academy of over 23,000 members but isn’t
daunted by the challenge. “It’s very structured, very professional
and a tremendous learning experience, especially in terms of
leadership.”
A native of India, Ms. Arya came to the United States when she
was 10. She had her sights set on majoring in Calculus at Queens
College but a discussion with a St. John’s recruiter during one of
her high school’s college programs changed all that.
She was offered a scholarship and decided on Pharmacy because
she wanted a challenge and to experience one of the best programs
St. John’s had to offer, she said. “I didn’t know much about
pharmacists except that they worked in a pharmacy,” she joked.
“That’s a stereotype we’re working to overcome.”
She joined APhA as a freshman and made a decision to run for a
position at her first regional meeting. Ms. Arya was elected
Regional Delegate and has risen steadily through the ranks. “I
don’t want to limit my education to the four walls of the
classroom,” she observed. “Pharmacy is a profession that is
changing so rapidly. We’ve evolved so much in the last 20 years.
Now with the Pharm D. degree we’re more clinical and there are just
so many more job opportunities for us.”
Since coming to St. John’s Ms. Arya has not limited herself to
activities within the College of Pharmacy, serving as a Resident
Advisor, Orientation Leader and a member of Student Government.
“I’ve definitely experienced life around campus. It’s made me more
well-rounded and I’ve carried the skills I’ve learned through
different involvements to my work with APhA.” She added that the
social component of these activities has made her better able to
relate to patients.
Ms. Arya stressed that being a member of APhA has taken what she
does every day and given her a larger perspective and a vision for
her future. “It showed me what I was working toward.”