Almost 90 P3 pharmacy students assembled in the Gozzo Student Center last Thursday appeared poised and ready for their next steps as they accepted their individual business cards – which they will hand to colleagues and peers as newly minted professionals during clinical rotations beginning next month.
“They’ve instilled confidence by giving us a lot of learning opportunities,” Matthew Romack said of his ACPHS faculty and mentors. “I can only imagine that confidence growing once we go on rotations, to be better pharmacists in practice.”
The students were assembled for an event known as the P3 Sendoff, marking the end of classroom instruction for students completing their third year of professional training (P3), and for many their fifth year in total, in the pharmacy doctoral program. The event is considered a bookend to the White Coat Ceremony of their P1 year. Students recite the Oath of the Pharmacist (pictured above) and get advice from former pharmacy students and faculty.
They begin the clinical rotations known as Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) next month. For many students, it is the moment they have been striving for, almost as much as graduating.
“It’s definitely relieving,” Alex Tow said of the end of didactic learning in the classroom. “I’m looking forward to applying what I know.”
Hao Yu Guo said she planned to follow the advice of faculty, alumni and other pharmacy students finishing their rotations, with as many different types of rotations lined up as possible, to help her determine what she wants to do after graduation.
“It’s a good opportunity to learn as much as you can, and to meet new people in new environments,” Guo said.
It was also an emotional day for some, the culmination of hard work to overcome obstacles during the last five years. Kimberly Koretnicki teared up when Linda Roberts, an academic class advisor in the Center for Student Success, walked into the room. Koretnicki struggled in her first year when she lost a family member and lost some ground academically. But she wanted to stay on track with her class. Roberts, who believed in her abilities, went to bat for her to do that.
As for making it to the P3 Sendoff with that class?
“This is insane,” Koretnicki said happily. “And now I get to go on APPEs. I can’t wait.”
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