On Nov. 6, students and pharmacists participated in the second annual “Speed Dating with a Pharmacist: A Networking Opportunity.”
The event, organized by the University of the Sciences student chapter of the American (ASHP)/Pennsylvania Societies of Health-System Pharmacists (PSHP), provided pharmacy students with a closer look at the wide array of opportunities available today in the field of pharmacy.
Twenty-six pharmacists with different practice roles in acute and ambulatory care, community pharmacy, and the pharmaceutical industry were featured, including oncology, global regulatory affairs, critical care, sales and marketing, pharmacy residencies, a licensed pharmacist immunizer, LTC consultant pharmacists, and an emergency room pharmacist.
The event kicked-off with pharmacists, many of them PCP alumni, seated at individual tables with students rotating in two-to-three person groups to speak with each pharmacist for roughly nine minutes. Each student had the opportunity to visit with at least seven pharmacists during the course of the evening. Participants ranged from first-year to sixth-year PharmD program students.
After the networking rounds, the participants attended an informal dinner where students were able to continue networking with the pharmacists and meet those that they didn’t get a chance to speak with earlier in the evening. Additionally, textbooks donated by ASHP and other prizes were raffled-off throughout the night.
The effort and coordination of the approximately 20 PSHP leaders who planned the event was evident and appreciated by both students and pharmacists alike. The interactive and engaging format allowed students to speak first-hand with pharmacists in many different specialties, and allowed pharmacists to share their experiences and expertise.