September 29, 2009
October is here and at St. John’s University’s College of
Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, that means it’s
American Pharmacists Month, a month-long celebration that
recognizes pharmacists, their significant contributions to
healthcare, and their commitment to patient care.
At
St. John’s it’s also an opportunity to focus on student
pharmacists, who are preparing to become not just dispensers of
medication but medication experts who are an integral part of the
healthcare team
This year’s theme for American Pharmacists Month, an initiative of
the American Pharmacists
Association, is “Know Your MEDICINE Know Your PHARMACIST” and
the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions will be
holding a number of events. Most notable is the Annual White Coat
Ceremony, during which third-year students in the Doctor of
Pharmacy program receive their white coats, signaling their entry
into the professional years of the program. This year’s celebration
is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21 and is by invitation
only.
Pharmacy Organization Day is an opportunity for students to meet
leaders from many national, state and professional pharmacy
organizations, as well as from student campus organizations. The
event, which is open to all Pharmacy students, is being held on
October 15 in the CVS/Pharmacy Student Lounge, in St. Albert Hall,
from 9 a.m.—3 p.m. For more information, contact Frank Nania,
Pharm.D., naniaf@stjohns.edu or (718)
990-5846.
On October 23, representatives from area residencies and
fellowships will be available at the Annual Pharmacy Residency and
Fellowship Showcase to provide information and answer student
questions about their many programs. The event, to be held in
Council Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is geared toward fourth-
through sixth-year students but open to all Pharmacy
students.
Fifth and sixth-year Pharmacy students are signing up in teams of
two for the annual Clinical Skills Competition, sponsored by the
local affiliate of the American Society of
Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP). The contest, which
allows students to practice their patient care planning skills, is
being held at 4 p.m. on October 15 in the Pharmacy Practice Lab
(Room 130) in St. Albert Hall. For more information, contact Nicole
Maisch, Pharm.D., maischn@stjohns.edu or (718)
990-2477/1417.
A Research Poster Day is also scheduled for the end of the month to
showcase some of the impressive work being done this year at the
College of Pharmacy. The time and place of that event will be
announced at a later date.
In addition, the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences is planning
a number of events during October.
At an October 1 Graduate
Research Forum—a department first this year-- graduate students
will present short PowerPoint summaries of their research to the
entire department. The forum is intended to give master’s and Ph.D
candidates the opportunity to speak before a large group (37
faculty and 150-plus M.S, and Ph.D. students are in the department)
and to keep them up to date on research projects underway.
More than 50 students are already registered to present between
8:45 a.m.—5:30 p.m. in Bent Hall 277A/B.
A Doctoral Seminar will take place on October 5 in St. Albert Hall,
B70, from 4:40—5:40 p.m. The College’s Toxicology Program will hold
a reception in the CVS/Pharmacy Student Lounge in St. Albert on
October 8 from 2:30—4:30 p.m.
For more information on Pharmaceutical Sciences Department events,
contact the office at (718) 990-1408.