#studentorganizations

                                      By: Samantha Ramirez

Going through a pharmacy graduate program can be very intimidating at times, especially in the beginning as you are getting accustomed to the fast-paced environment of pharmacy school. During the first few months you may have a few pressing concerns such as, “Will I be able to handle the curriculum of pharmacy school?”, “Will I be able to join extracurricular organizations and still manage my time effectively?” or “How will I fit in with my peers and within the program?”. Experiencing these concerns as an incoming first year pharmacy student is normal and does get easier as you begin to develop a graduate student mindset and become familiar with the expectations of pharmacy school and your professors. A frequent piece of advice that I received at the beginning of my first year of pharmacy school was to get involved. Now if you are a little confused about what this means, don’t worry. This article will break down a few of the different options you will see while in pharmacy school and hopefully help you decide what the best option is for you when it comes to being involved.

First thing’s first. There are a TON of ways that you can be involved during your four years of pharmacy school so try not to put too much pressure on yourself to know exactly what it is you want to do or if you are choosing the “right” organization. Knowing from the very beginning which pharmacy student organizations are the best fit for you or if they will align with what you want to do with your career is not very realistic for many P1 pharmacy students. A few helpful tips to consider before you weigh your options are:

Know what interest you. Are you interested in conducting research, being more involved in the community or career development opportunities like competing in national level competitions?

Do your research. Look into the different organizations or options your school has to offer and take note of which ones may align with your interest. You may even consider attending a few introductory meetings where they give presentations on what they are about and their membership requirements.

Ask around. Ask current members, upper-class pharmacy students or even mentors what organizations they are/were a part of so that you could get a sense of what you could take away from these organizations and vice versa.

Pace yourself. Although it’s recommended that you join 3-5 organizations, it’s not a requirement and may even result in you spreading yourself too thin. If this is the case, then just join 1-2 organizations at first so that you are able to devote sufficient time to each. Remember quality over quantity.

As you explore all the different possibilities that are available to you as a pharmacy student just remember even if you think an organization may look great on your CV, do not join unless you know you are going to enjoy it. As you will come to find out with every organization, you will get out what you put in so follow your gut instinct. Listed below are a few of the most common organizations and the benefits accompanied with being one of their members so that you may familiarize yourself with them. Relax, have fun and make the most of these opportunities!

American Pharmacists Association or APhA helps prepare members for their role as the medication expert in team-based, patient-centered care. They have a student chapter known as APhA-ASP which provide benefits such as:

Networking and career development opportunities which include the APhA-ASP Annual Meeting and Exposition and activities like their patient counseling competition.

Patient care activities like Operation Heart, Operation Immunization and Operation Diabetes allow members to go into the community and educate individuals on these topics

Scholarships and awards made available to members.

Informational resources like discounted textbooks, NAPLEX Review Study Guide, APPE Pocket guide and so many more.

Membership benefits.

Membership fees include a $45 National APhA due and a $15 APhA chapter fee.1

Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists or SSHP can be the perfect fit for those student pharmacist who aspire to practice in a health-system pharmacy setting. This organization also has a student chapter and also local chapters (depending on your city) which can offer even more community outreach opportunities. Some benefits that this organization offers are:

Exposure to careers in health-system pharmacy

Education on residencies and fellowships

Networking opportunities through local, state and national conferences and events such as TSHP Annual Seminar.

Scholarship opportunities

Also offer career development opportunities such as their clinical skills and disease state competitions

Community outreach opportunities such as volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House and Child Crisis Center

Membership fee: $45.  2

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists or AAPS are for those students who have a strong interest in the discovery, development and manufacturing of pharmaceutical products. In this organization you will be able to apply your knowledge in pharmaceutical sciences to develop products and therapies that will improve global health. The student chapter for AAPS provides many benefits such as:

Career development opportunities

Access to all chapter events

Access to webinars (like their annual meeting PharmSci 360), newsletters and magazines

Networking with local and international professionals in pharmaceutical sciences

Volunteer opportunities to give back to the community

Membership fee: $40.  3

The Student National Pharmaceutical Association or SNPhA is composed of pharmacy students who through their efforts serve the profession of pharmacy by addressing healthcare issues and the poor minority representation in their community. SNPhA coordinates programs geared towards the improvement of the health, educational and social environment of minority communities. SNPhA offers benefits such as:

Opportunities to develop leadership and professional skills.

Opportunities to participate in national healthcare issues.

Scholarships

Access to professional consultation services and mentorship opportunities

Volunteer opportunities to educate communities on better health practices and increase their awareness and understanding of diseases.

Membership Fee: $35.  4

Pharmacy Student Council is an organization found within every school of pharmacy program and is the student governance body. They serve to provide an official voice through which student opinion may be expressed and a structured organization for student involvement within the program. Serving on the board of Pharmacy Student Council can be a very rewarding experience and provides the following benefits:

Professional and leadership development

Being able to be involved in enhancing the quality and scope of your program’s education.

Being an advocate for all the student pharmacy body.

Community involvement opportunities by supporting and assisting with projects related to the profession of pharmacy.

Hi folks! Welcome to the next big thing, the newest kid on the block, the eighth wonder of the Ancient World. There’s so much time and so little to do -- wait a minute. Strike that, reverse it. 

This won’t be a standard intro post discussing my major, reasons for choosing Northeastern, etc. -- those will certainly come in due time! Instead, I want to "hit the ground running” as the youths say and tell you about my last couple days living life as a Northeastern student.

Sunday afternoon, I was struck with the sudden desire to bake. Something, anything, needed to be baked. A few weekends back, I went apple picking at an orchard ~45 minutes outside the city and still had a lot of apples left over. See below for my latest attempt from that trip at trying to pose for an artsy-ish Instagram photo:

I walked with a friend to Whole Foods to pick up ingredients (and paid with my dining dollars! huzzah) and made some truly bomb apple crumble muffins (https://sugarspunrun.com/apple-crumble-muffins/). You’ll just have to picture what mine actually looked like ‘cause, uh, I gave them out too fast before taking a photo... 

I ventured out into campus later that evening and made plans to see a show titled “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” by the student organization Acting Out. They are Northeastern’s “only acting company dedicated to promoting social change through the work it produces” (read more on them: https://web.northeastern.edu/actingout/). A friend of mine was cast as a main performer, and both he and the other cast members did not disappoint! 

Lastly, after co-op yesterday, I went with some other friends to support the Northeastern Triathalon Team at their annual Harry Potter/The Office trivia night. We shared some great nachos, and then I instantly regretted eating so much of the great nachos. But, you know, YOLO. Also, I was the only one on my team who remembered that Aberforth Dumbledore was the barman at the Hog’s Head Inn; that was a real win for Team Jared.

In short: I try to use my free time whenever possible to attend events on and off campus, especially when they support student organizations. Most of the time, they’re incredibly fun and I’m only disappointed in myself that I didn’t attend them sooner. :)

One event I attended recently on campus was an African and African Diaspora Student Organization (AADSSO) meeting. It was the last meeting of the semester and I thought the class was interesting enough, so I figured the Registered Student Organization (RSO) directly related to it would be something I was interested in, as well, because it would be like the class only in a more informal setting, while not being graded for it. In the first meeting, we discussed Conversation Parties, Project South mentoring, setting up a booth at the Week of Involvement Block Party, and even having a film screening night or two. The way everything flowed so nicely and the good vibes I got from everyone made me come back the following meeting and actually join AADSSO. What began as an interest actually blossomed into something much more than that, a family with open minds and welcoming hearts. 

Get plugged in.  Get connected.  Find your place. These little phrases that you are likely to hear more than you’d like in the next few years are really all talking about the same thing – involvement.

Again, remember college is made up of choices.  While at Wake you can choose from a range of involvement.  It’s important to remember that it is not an all or nothing approach!  You don’t have to be a part of everything under the sun or part of absolutely nothing.  After all, involvement doesn’t really mean the same thing as engagement.  You can “show up” to something until the cows come home but never actually have a meaningful experience.

We have over 150 chartered student organizations on this campus.  You have an interest? Chances are there’s a student organization for that!  And guess what… they all are eager for new members.  There might even be a possibility that you came to campus with a strict focus on only joining one particular organization.  Or you may have no clue where to start so plan on joining up with every organization that hands you a flyer.  So let us take some time to give you some timely advice for you to remember.

Be strategic:  seek out information from organizations that appeal to your interests but also from those that you are curious about.

Ask good questions: What is the history of the organization? What does membership look like? How can you grow with the organization?

Evaluate: Does what you know of the organization match what experience you are looking for? Be open to possible surprises and the fact an organization you hadn’t thought at first to be a fit for you might actually be a great fit!

Invest: Select a few organizations to join. When you join make sure you are ready to make the commitment to be a part of the community in that group.  Invest the time and energy appropriate for you to be an active and engaged member of that community.

Guest Post By: Kaitlin Ball, President, Georgia Society of International and Comparative Law        

When one thinks of international law or relations, New York, Washington D.C., or San Francisco pop to mind.  The state of Georgia—and certainly not the small town of Athens—are decidedly absent from this list.  Hidden among Athens’s incredible music scene and the University of Georgia’s 35,000+ students, however, is the Dean Rusk for International Law and Policy, which calls itself home to some of the most palpable presences in international law. 

  The Dean Rusk Center was established in 1977 to expand the scope of research, teaching, and service in international law and policy in order to increase understanding of international issues, provide a sound basis for foreign policy decision-making, and contribute solutions to global problems. Named for Dean Rusk, the United States Secretary of State from 1961-1969 and a member of the UGA Law faculty from 1990-1994, the Center serves as a nucleus for collaboration between University of Georgia School of Law faculty and students, the law school community, and diverse international partners on foreign and transnational legal and policy matters.

  Aside from Secretary Rusk, the Dean Rusk Center has called itself home to such international law greats as Louis Sohn, who helped establish the United Nations and represented the U.S. in the Law of the Sea Convention, and Daniel M. Bondansky.  Currently, one can find former ambassador of trade C. Donald Johnson or Diane Marie Amann, the Emily and Ernest Woodruff Chair in International Law and Special Adviser on Children in Armed Conflict to the International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor. 

  Other international law faculty include Harlan G. Cohen, who has recently published one of the seminal pieces on the fragmentation of international law in the New York University Journal of International Law and Politics, as well as Timothy Meyer, a former lawyer for the State Department who teaches a course on international business transactions and specializes in international environmental law when he’s not busy giving talks at the United Nations University.  Last but not least is Peter “Bo” Rutledge, who is so renowned for his expertise in international dispute resolution that he spent a year as a Fulbright Professor at the Institut für Zivilverfahrensrecht at the University of Vienna Law School.

  Recently, the Dean Rusk Center hosted a conference commemorating the 50th year of the Cuban embargo, showcasing the who’s-who of Cuban-American relations and policy.  Students truly had the opportunity to be in the thick of it as things literally began to happen.  Ambassadors and lawyers were passing notes reading “the Russians found oil.”  Know who knew before the rest of the world that a Russian oil company found oil off the shore of Cuba?  Anyone who happened to be in a little town called Athens at the Dean Rusk Center’s Cuban Embargo Conference.