FEIK SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
J UNE 2020
raduation of the Class of 2020:
The graduation ceremony for the UIW Class of 2020 graduates was a first in the university’s entire 139-year history. Held on Saturday, May 20, 2020, all commencement ceremonies were held virtually. Undergraduate and graduate ceremonies were held at 4:00 p.m., followed at 6:00 p.m. by the ceremonies for the Feik School of Pharmacy, Rosenberg School of Optometry and School of Physical Therapy. The web page for the Feik School of Pharmacy commencement ceremonies featured a link to pre-recorded video presentations of the Dean’s Commencement Address to the graduates, and the Student Body Commencement Address, which was delivered by Dr. Olivia Creager. In addition to the link to the graduation ceremony itself, there was a link announcing the graduates by name and featuring individual graduation photos. Following that was an announcement for each of the prestigious awards given to members of the Class of 2020, the 11th graduating class from the FSOP. Dr. Maize recognized Dr. Jennifer Sonnen, SGA President, and Class of 2020 Senators Dr. Anna Bozhkova and Dr. Gaielle Harb for their service. The following graduates were awarded the Tenet Awards: Education to Dr. Terra Furney, Truth to Dr. Anna Bozhkova, Service to Dr. Mikali Shedd, Faith to Dr. Susie Kim, and Innovation to Dr. Melchor Espinosa. The Mission Excellence Award, the highest honor given to the student who best embodies all 5 of the Tenets, was awarded to Dr. Olivia Creager. Presentations continued with the Walgreen’s Honor Graduate Award, to Dr. Jacquelyn Harcus. The Mylan Excellence in Pharmacy Award went to Dr. Terra Furney. Dr. James Vasquez was the recipient of the H-E-B Bold Promise Award. Dr. Johnathan Hinojosa was chosen to receive the Facts and Comparisons Award. The Excellence in Clinical Pharmacy Practice Award was given to Dr. Andrea McLachlan. Dr. Terra Furney received the Outstanding Graduate Award. The CVS Outstanding Community Pharmacy Intern Award went to Dr. Alejandra Sierra, and the APhA Senior Award went to Dr. Olivia Creager. The commencement ceremonies opened with a sweeping aerial video of the beautiful UIW main campus, and began with the history of the three founding Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Dr. Maize drew an important parallel to the founding sisters in his commencement remarks to the graduates. He reminded them that they were taking up the call
of the first Sisters who, in 1869, were working as frontline providers in a cholera outbreak in San Antonio and south Texas. Dr. Maize noted that the graduates are in a battle against the virus in this unprecedented time, when the members of the Class of 2020 are entering their chosen profession. He noted that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, and welcomed the graduates as alumni and colleagues of the Feik School of Pharmacy. As the commencement program video continued, the ceremony was opened with the traditional bagpipers playing as they walked through the empty campus alone, as if leading the traditional processional. Dr. Thomas Evans, UIW President, shared an encouraging and inspirational message with the graduates, then conferred degrees on the members of the FSOP Class of 2020 as a group. In his closing remarks, Dr. Evans called the graduates the “first graduating class of the most disruptive event of our lifetime. You will make God’s dream of a better world possible.” He went on to say “It’s not defining because it happened, but in how you chose to respond – to press on and continue your education journey. You answered uncertainty with clarity and the courage to press on.” Dr. Evans noted that dedicating their professional lives to helping ensure the wellbeing of others is more than a career path. “It is a response to a call to alleviate suffering, restore and preserve health, and care for those more vulnerable among us.”
Dr. Thomas Evans
In closing, Dr. Cesar Trevino, Class of 2013 alum, lead the graduates in reciting the Oath of the Pharmacist. Then Dr. Lisa McNary, Dean of Alumni and Parent Relations, welcomed the new pharmacists to the UIW Alumni Association.
⎯ About the Class of 2020 ⎯
94 students started class on August 15, 2016 at the UIW Feik School of Pharmacy.
94 participated in the eleventh FSOP White Coat Ceremony on October 7, 2016.
95% o o o
of us are from Texas. 1 student is from Nevada 1 student is from New York 1 student is from Washington
Our o o o
class is: 6% African American 23% Asian 25% Caucasian
1 student is from Wisconsin 1 student is an international student
37% Hispanic 9% Other
70% of us are female.
43% of us call San Antonio home.
38% of us have a bachelor’s degree, and 1% of us has a master’s degree.
In 2016, we ranged in age from 18 to 47 years old.
82 of us received the Doctor of Pharmacy degree on Saturday, May 9, 2020.
100% of us are 100% committed to the profession of pharmacy, and to the healthcare needs of each individual whom we will serve.
CHARTING
AN
EMERGENCY PATHWAY FORWARD
FOR
PHARMACY EDUCATION
Dear FSOP Alumni, With the turn of the calendar to the current year, I was looking forward to all the spring celebrations that I so love. The Class of 2020 was closing in on graduation from the UIW Feik School of Pharmacy. Though I certainly knew about the virus, I did not yet dream of the drastic course alterations that COVID-19 would demand from us all. For the university as a whole, many adjustments were made to take the best care of both students and employees. Upon determining that students would not be able to return from Spring Break with the remainder of the semester to be offered online, the university extended Spring Break for an additional week to allow faculty time to shift instruction and assessments to online delivery. The Provost Office instituted an optional grading policy for spring and summer 2020 terms. For these two terms, students who felt their grades were negatively impacted by the move to online learning could opt for a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade to replace their letter grade. All Class of 2020 graduation activities throughout the university were moved to virtual ceremonies. It was, very quickly, a vastly different landscape from the way the semester began. We hope you find this special edition of the alumni newsletter to be hopeful and encouraging. We have all had to find new ways to maintain the same level of excellence and patient care, and the same level of supportive services for our students. Following are reflections from the school’s leadership about the paths forward that we have chosen. To our graduates of the Class of 2020, celebrate these years that are now behind you, for they are the steppingstones that equip you to fulfill your dreams. Congratulations and best wishes! Praised be the Incarnate Word! David F. Maize, Dean and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Education, Truth, Faith, Service, Innovation maize@uiwtx.edu, 210-883-1010
A
dministrators’ Corner:
OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Dear colleagues, It is with great pride that I share with you how the Feik School of Pharmacy addressed and persisted through the academic challenges of spring 2020. Coordinated and collective efforts were made by the FSOP team to ensure that we maintained educational excellence and were able to support the needs of students, faculty, staff, and our community/institutional partners. Within the timespan of a week in mid-March, the Feik School of Pharmacy transformed over 20 didactic courses from live, in-person courses to remote instruction. While there were many challenges to address, our efforts to advance the use of technology at FSOP had us well-prepared to meet the needs of the moment. For course delivery, daily lectures were recorded and posted to our learning management system (Blackboard) using a variety of platforms (e.g., Zoom, Camtasia, Kaltura), with some courses opting for live virtual classes (also recorded and posted). For assessments, a central goal of our strategy was to provide flexibility for those who may need it. We agreed on a policy to make all assessments available for a minimum of 24 hours so that a student could complete the assessment during a time that could work for their individual situation. Course faculty were creative and used a variety of assessment strategies to help meet the needs of students and course content (including open-book assessments, alternative assignments, and virtual interactions). Office hours and all interactions between faculty, staff, and students moved to the virtual worlds of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Skype. As we know, the effects of the coronavirus on our society and our daily lives will persist through the summer, fall, and likely into next year. FSOP is preparing for all possible scenarios to make sure that our students are safe, healthy, and receive the highest-quality pharmacy education. The collaboration and teamwork required to prepare is immense, and we are thankful to have such committed students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community/institutional partners to help. Thank you to all of you who have provided us feedback, supported our students and school, and served our San Antonio and Texas community during these times. FSOP will emerge from this public health crisis stronger, with new ideas and experiences to inform our continuous improvement, and with the camaraderie that comes from grit and determination. In closing – one final shoutout to all of our students at FSOP – thank you for your positivity, persistence, and trust as we complete the spring and move into a new academic year. The experiences of this semester reminded me why I am so proud to be a part of the UIW Cardinal community and work with our student pharmacists who live out our mission every day. Russell T. Attridge, PharmD, MSc, BCPS Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
OFFICE OF EXPERIENTIAL AND PHARMACY TECHNICIA N EDUCATION COVID-19 brought many challenges and opportunities for experiential education. UIW students, preceptors, faculty, administrators, and staff went above and beyond to ensure student success. We are very thankful for all those involved in the success stories. Many prayers were answered as we battled the coronavirus chaos. Our first challenge was to develop and implement a plan so our P4 students could complete their final APPE safely in an appropriate learning environment. San Antonio and Texas closed with two weeks remaining in APPE 6.
Some facilities allowed students to remain in their rotation for the final two weeks, some facilities allowed students to continue for one more week, and other facilities required the students to be removed immediately. For those students needing to be removed from their sites, FSOP faculty and preceptors designed ACPE-approved activities to provide one or two weeks of remote learning experiences to allow FSOP students to successfully and safely complete their final APPE. For those students that remained at their sites, preceptors provided continued learning experiences while taking necessary precautions. This was a great opportunity to witness the dedication of students, preceptors, and UIW personnel. We are grateful for our wonderful students and community partner supporters. As soon as we crossed off completing APPEs from our to-do list, we began tackling our next challenge – IPPEs. This is the final year of our IPPE curriculum conversion. After this summer, P1 students will complete their IPPE Community and P2 students will complete their IPPE Hospital. Last year, two classes (P2 and P3) simultaneously completed their IPPE Hospital while the P1 class completed their IPPE Community. Currently, we have two classes completing IPPE Community (P1 and P3) while the P2 class is completing IPPE Hospital. This conversion would be a challenge in a normal year. COVID-19 presented an even greater challenge to the curriculum conversion. Many hospitals and some community pharmacies closed for students, not just pharmacy students, but all students regardless of specialty. Thankfully, we have the opportunity to witness outstanding and highly dedicated preceptors and students meet this challenge. Both classes of IPPE Community are placed. We anticipate placing our final few students in IPPE Hospital before summer ends. The total number of students on IPPEs this summer is 264 (91 P1 students on IPPE Community, 96 P2 students on IPPE Hospital, 77 P3 students on IPPE Community). Although we are unable to cross this off our to-do list today, my pen is on the paper and ready to strike through the item. If you are able to accept IPPE Hospital students, please contact the Office of Experiential Education. It is hard to believe that we are diligently working on our next challenge – APPEs for the Class of 2021. Before we realize it, 7/6/20 will be here. When that day arrives, our new P4 students will be on their yearlong APPE adventure. If you are a preceptor, you have been or will be contacted about your APPE assignments. We hope that you will be allowed to accept your scheduled students. We have several alternative plans to handle a protracted COVID season, and multiple COVID seasons. With preceptor and faculty support combined with student diligence, we are confident that this too will move from the to-do list to Jeffrey Copeland, BS, ThM, PharmD the done list. Associate Dean of Experiential & Pharmacy Technician Education, and Professor of Pharmacy Practice
OFFICE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES When the going gets tough, the tough get going! That is what the students, faculty, staff, and administrators of the Feik School of Pharmacy did to respond to the shutdown due to COVID-19. Even as the SARS/CoV-2 was rearing its ugly head in early March, and the students were away on their much-needed spring break, the wheels started to turn at FSOP, and the university at large, on how we will deliver the curriculum if we could not come back. ‘Socialdistancing’ suddenly became a part of everyday lingo, and Zoom videoconferencing began popping-up on every digital device. Speaking about technology, the FSOP had a leg-up. With lecture-capture, ExamSoft, Poll Everywhere and the likes, we did not have to re-invent ourselves a whole lot. At the end of spring break, we got our marching orders to go online. Most of the Pharm Sci faculty pre-recorded their lectures using Lecture capture, Camtasia, PowerPoint or Zoom and posted them on Blackboard. Students could view these lectures at their convenience. This allowed for both students and faculty to accommodate for their personal situations. It also avoided having to troubleshoot technology breakdowns during a live session. Nonetheless, some faculty did use synchronous teaching via zoom. At such times faculty noted that students did not like to use the audio or video on their devices and preferred to type their questions in the chat box. Faculty mentors had virtual meetings with their mentees regarding co-curricular activities.
Having to teach and test online was not all smooth sailing. Faculty keenly missed the interactions with the students that they are used to having in class. The absence of verbal and non-verbal feedback during online teaching made it difficult to discern where students might have difficulty with the course material. Faculty also felt that in general students were less engaged than they would be in the classroom. They went out of their way to be available for students during and outside of their office hours. Another challenge was to give exams online with no mechanism for proctoring. Most faculty opted to give ‘open-book’ exams. All said and done, we finished the semester successfully. The curriculum for the spring semester was delivered. The faculty adjusted their teaching and assessments and learned a few things along the way. Many faculty members feel that they will deliver their teaching in a synchronous format to allow for a structure for the students. This might also help with student engagement. Faculty development for online teaching and assessment during the summer will help in preparing us for the fall semester if we have to deliver the courses online again.
Sushma Ramsinghani, PhD Assistant Dean, Department Chair and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
OFFICE OF PHARMACY PRACTICE The Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty successfully adapted to online delivery of the pharmacy curriculum, completed final advanced pharmacy practice experiences precepting responsibilities, continued patient care activities, and remained active in scholarly endeavors during the pandemic. Although many practice sites limited access to their facilities, faculty were able to use technology to round virtually or follow up with clinic patients remotely. Fourth-year pharmacy students were allowed to complete their final advanced pharmacy practice experiences. By quickly adapting, the faculty were able to maintain continuity of care during these uncertain times. Moving forward, the department will focus on 1) using telehealth strategies to continue safely providing highquality patient care, 2) continuing to develop innovative instructional delivery strategies that can be readily adapted for remote content delivery, and 3) sharing "best practices" with colleagues. Jason Cota, PharmD, MSc, BCPS Vice Chair and Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Cheryl Horlen, PharmD, BCPS Assistant Dean, Department Chair, and Professor of Pharmacy Practice
OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) set out in March to ensure that all students successfully transitioned to online learning. Our goal was to ensure individual student needs were met, while at the same time attempt to provide programming that gave students a social outlet. From the onset of this transition, online office hours were established, three times a day, each day of the workweek. Online fitness classes, prayer and meditation sessions, counseling sessions, and events such as a virtual spirit week and fiesta pet parade were held. In April, OSA individually emailed every P1 – P3 student in didactic coursework for an individual check in. Student responses indicated appreciation for all communication and efforts made. At the same time, OSA staff have been busy completing the admission cycle for the incoming class of 2024. Final interview dates transitioned to a shortened three-hour interview day via Zoom with small groups of applicants. Accepted and deposited students engaged with staff through specific incoming student office hours, information sessions, and chats. Finally, we transitioned our prospective student presentations into zoom sessions to continue to engage future applicants. All in all, we have been busy!
Amy Diepenbrock, PhD Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
NOTES FROM THE ALUMNI NETWORK CHAIR Fellow Alumni, I would like to start off by saying how proud I am of the UIW-FSOP Alumni frontline workers. You have been there to help the community. You have been there not only to provide their medications, but to assist them in answering questions and easing their anxiety during this pandemic. Please continue to be safe. The 11th class from UIW-FSOP has now graduated from the Feik School of Pharmacy. Congratulations Class of 2020, and to those alumni that have completed PGY1 and PGY2 residencies. Congratulations also to the Class of 2010 on their 10-year anniversary and the Class of 2015 on their 5 year. I am happy that we were able to celebrate these reunions before the world got crazy. Unfortunately, this year will be remembered as the Coronavirus year. As you know the Class of 2020 was not able to enjoy commencement as the previous 10 years have. I want to send out a great big alumni hug to the Class of 2020 and welcome you to the UIW-FSOP Alumni Network. We are very proud of you. I look forward to having alumni events again. I was sad we were not able to have our annual FIESTA Alumni event, and that our annual TPA Alumni reception was cancelled due to the pandemic. We are a strong alumni and once again we will get together, to see each other and to celebrate our brotherhood as UIW-FSOP graduates. Good luck to the Class of 2020 with your NAPLEX and MPJE exams. I know you will make the alumni network proud. Enjoy the summer with your family. You certainly deserve it. God willing our annual “Meet the Alumni BBQ” event is scheduled for August 12 beginning at 4PM for our incoming P1 class. Call a friend, or better yet, pick up a classmate and come out to reconnect with your alumni network. I look forward to hearing from you and entertaining any new ideas you may have for the alumni network. God bless, Chris Alvarado Pharm.D., R.Ph. UIW Alumni Network Chair uiwrph@gmail.com
FSOP in the News . . . .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. .. . . .. . . . . . . . . .. .
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The University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy was ranked 2 nd in the top 25 schools in 2020 Best Doctoral Pharmacy Degrees in the nation, on the 2020 Best Colleges for Earning Potential list. GradReport’s data-driven college rankings by majors are based on salary data of over five million graduates from a U.S. Department of Education resource, as well as median total debt from College Scorecard. Both salary and total debt data are based on school-reported information about students' program of completion. The write-up about the Feik School of Pharmacy from GradReports’ website reads in part as follows: Students study subjects such as ethics and life issues, drug information, medical microbiology, immunology, anatomy, pharmacokinetics, medical literature, and pharmacy law. Advanced pharmacy experiences in the fourth year include community care, hospital/institution care, ambulatory care, and acute care/general medicine. The curriculum also includes two courses of Spanish for Pharmacists to help students improve their fluency so they can work more effectively with Spanish-speaking populations. Spanish certification can be earned in the final year of the program by passing oral and written examinations. UIW also offers a dual degree that combines PharmD with a Master of Arts in Administration (MAA). The MAA requires 30 semester hours of graduate coursework, and the degree can be earned while students complete their PharmD coursework.
Faculty in Focus Professor Lila LaGrange Dr. Lila LaGrange has received several notable teaching awards, including the Provost’s Legacy Teaching Award in 2010, and the Feik School of Pharmacy Teacher of the Year Award (chosen by students) in 2007, 2011 and 2017. She has been nominated multiple times for the UIW Presidential Teaching Award. Teaching is obviously what LaGrange, a professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, does very well. But teaching during the time of a pandemic has presented a new and unexpected challenge for the experienced professor. One she is meeting by, once again, putting students first. “During this rushed transition to online learning, it has been hard to not feel overwhelmed,” says LaGrange. Her teaching philosophy centers around the belief that her role as a teacher is to create a student-centered environment that actively involves students in the learning process. She believes in engaging students by building a strong teacherstudent relationship and creating an environment where students think critically, work in groups and find individual fulfillment in their progress and achievements. That philosophy has not changed during this time of distance learning, but LaGrange has adapted. “Two challenges of remote learning are keeping students engaged and accountable,” says LaGrange. “Given that students were already familiar with the course structure and activities, what was most important during the transition was finding ways to keep teaching and learning from becoming passive and to keep students invested in their learning. What has worked best for me is tracking students’ performance and then following up with them individually, as this allows me to offer support almost immediately and to also let them know they are not alone in this process. I have found that students have appreciated these interactions, and many have come to expect me to touch base with them, especially if they are falling behind.” LaGrange has become increasingly involved in the area of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, specifically focusing on education-type projects that improve the learning environment for students. She also involves students in scholarship by mentoring them through academic writing projects. LaGrange’s biomedical research interest is on factors that influence smooth muscle contractility. She serves on numerous FSOP committees, including Assessment, Professional Conduct, Faculty Development, and Accreditation Self-Study, of which she is currently chair. She has served as co-chair of the UIW Employee Campaign since 2013, and recently completed a three-year term as chair of the UIW Graduate Council. And while all that experience pays dividends during this challenging time, LaGrange is already looking forward to the benefits of the lessons learned today. “Receiving feedback from students on what is and is not working is especially important right now,” says LaGrange. “I have asked students to think about what new things we are currently doing that they would like to see become part of our face-to-face classes. Based on their suggestions, two things that l incorporate in my teaching once we return to the classroom are to expand office hours to include virtual options and to open a chat room, such as Class Chat, during class sessions to give students the option to interact with me and each other in real time. I have found that a significant number of students who would not normally ask questions or respond to mine in class have been doing so now using the Zoom chat option, and I can see how this has promoted discussion and interaction during the online class session.” It’s that kind of forward-thinking that keeps the accolades coming for LaGrange. She was recently chosen as the UIW nominee for the Piper Professor Award. The Piper Professor Program, begun in 1958, provides 10 awards annually of $5,000 each to professors for superior teaching at the college level. Selection is made from nominations submitted by each public or private college or university in Texas. UIW chooses one faculty member each year as the University’s Piper Professor nominee. It is a rare recognition but not the focus of LaGrange’s work. For her the true reward remains with the success of her students, and she has a message for them. “So much of our focus is on the here and now, which can easily overshadow our ability to appreciate the great things that have happened this academic year,” she says. “Students, take time to reflect on your achievements and resist the temptation to let the current situation minimize your accomplishments.”
Published in The Word: UIW Community Newsletter, April 24, 2020.
#feikpharmily ⎯ Student Highlights ELECTIVE RESULTS
IN
REAL-LIFE APPLICATIONS
In the early weeks of March, students and faculty at the Feik School of Pharmacy were seeing the critical role that pharmacists would play during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information available related to the virus was constantly changing and often from less reliable sources. Gilbert Martinez, Daniel Almeida, Zoe Mottershaw and Marina Milligan sought to equip pharmacists with resources that would help facilitate safety and provide dependable updates for their staff and patients. The project was developed in the Medical Disaster Preparedness elective, coordinated by Dr. Mathew Garber and Dr. Johnathan Cuevas. This course provides students with an opportunity to explore the role of medical providers within disaster preparedness, and more specifically how pharmacists can provide services during a disaster and assist the community. Ultimately, the team created a tri-fold pamphlet that provided quick references to community pharmacists and was distributed to pharmacies throughout San Antonio and heavily shared through social media. Amongst the contents were tools regarding epidemiology, patient education, testing criteria, primary symptoms, and vital contacts for the local health department. The pamphlet went through several revisions as experts gained more information and changed guidelines. Pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals that can offer medical advice in trying situations. The purpose of this class project was to highlight the potential roles a pharmacist has in the community and their ability to aid in protecting the healthcare infrastructure.
APHA-ASP CHAPTER CONTINUES ACTIVE PARTICIPATION Through these difficult times, APhA-ASP is working to provide opportunities for its members to challenge themselves in a creative fashion. Recently, our Competition Chair Mayeni Cavillo-Light, had the challenge of organizing the TPA Local Patient Counseling Competition and the TPA Local Self-Care Competition while we faced social isolation orders due to the global Corona virus pandemic. These events were successfully staged through Zoom and incorporated a Kahoot game for the Self-Care Competition. As a result, the Feik School of Pharmacy representatives at the 2020 TPA Annual Conference and Expo on July 24 in Austin, TX will be Roxana Palacios (Patient Care Vice President) in the TPA Patient Counseling Competition, and the team of Ahyun Sul, Chelsea Harvey (Policy Vice President), Kennedy Dankert, and Roxana Palacios in the Self Care Competition.
Furthermore, the 2020-2021 APhA-ASP Leadership Team has been meeting consistently through Zoom this spring to prepare for its next phase as an organization. In the coming year, the APhA-ASP chapter will be celebrating its 15th Anniversary at the Feik School of Pharmacy! Several goals involving community and membership engagement, advocacy and policy have been set in order to reach the organization’s target of performing 15 patient care and/or educational projects for the year. Regardless of what the future entails, APhA-ASP will continue to be a collective voice of student pharmacists, to provide opportunities for professional growth, to improve patient care, and to envision and advance the future of pharmacy.
IPHO: INTRODUCING
A
NEW STUDENT ORGANIZATION
TO
FSOP
As with every organization, its foundation starts with a thought and a vision. FSOP students are currently exposed to many career paths within the profession of pharmacy. However, the members who set in motion the beginning of this chapter wanted to increase exposure to and education about one of pharmacy’s non-traditional career tracks, Industry Pharmacy. The new FSOP chapter of IPhO, Industry Pharmacists Organization, hopes to open new doors to students that may be interested in a career apart from community or hospital pharmacy. Medical/regulatory affairs, research & development, and sales & marketing are just a few examples of these types of careers. The organization’s website states that “IPhO is the organization whose pharmacist members are universally recognized within the pharmaceutical industry as being the most professionally equipped to contribute to the development, commercialization, promotion, and optimal use of medicines. The thought we had in beginning this new chapter of IPhO at FSOP was that we would be able to better raise awareness of these non-traditional routes and show interested pharmacy students the path to these careers. A great deal of work went into preparing and presenting this idea to the Student Government Association. It involved communication between multiple parties, such as the current executive board and national student officers for guidance. It was challenging to define why a student chapter of IPhO belonged at FSOP, and what we would offer that would separate ourselves from other organizations. Thankfully, not too long after our presentation, all the hard work paid off and led to our installation at FSOP. As of this writing, the new IPhO chapter has a full E-board already planning for the upcoming academic year to increase our membership once we can properly spread the word of our new chapter throughout FSOP. We are proud to join the ranks of the IPhO chapters that serve in over 50% of U.S. pharmacy schools.
RHO CHI OVERCOMING NEW CHALLENGES Since Spring Break, we have all had to make some major adjustments to keep up with our pharmacy education and that includes maintaining our organizations, as well. As the new Rho Chi president, I am so proud to say the Delta Eta chapter of Rho Chi has held an entire virtual induction ceremony. I know many of us and our families were looking forward to celebrating this great achievement in person, but we were able to have the next best thing. I am very grateful to our out-going president Kennedy Dankert and our faculty advisors, Dr. Ramsinghani, and Dr. Cota, for making the virtual ceremony as special as possible. We are planning to have a more formal ceremony in the fall. The future of Rho Chi looks very bright, as well. We are currently engaged in fundraising, health fairs, and alumni outreach. Our traditional methods of face-to-face fundraising have successfully transitioned to a social distancing method of selling T-shirts online and having them delivered directly to our buyers to limit contact. In addition, we are in the process of setting up a Facebook page and alumni database to keep our current members and Rho Chi alumni up to date with what is going in our chapter at Feik. Finally, we are also planning on implementing innovative tutoring strategies to help our classmates this fall. All in all, we are very excited for the upcoming school year and we cannot wait to get back in the classroom! Marina Milligan (Class of 2022), President, Delta Eta Chapter, Rho Chi Society
SSHP CONTINUES
TO
SERVE
The Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists held an hour long Zoom session on April 29th with three FSOP alumni guest speakers, to hear about how COVID-19 has impacted their work as clinical pharmacists. The guest speakers were Drs. Clarissa Wilkins (Class of 2010), Michael Bui (Class of 2012), and Ellen Robinson (Class of 2015). Despite being unable to meet in person due to early school closure, SSHP was able to adjust to this new way of meeting and successfully host an event on the virtual platform. With promotion through school-wide email and Facebook posts, over 20 students joined in to listen and ask questions. The students were able to gain insight on what it is like working as a clinical pharmacist especially during this time of a global pandemic. SSHP would like to once again thank the alumni who were willing to give of their time to speak to and enlighten students. We hope that we can continue to host more events like this in the future with the participation of our alumni!
Student Reflections “Joy is that kind of happiness that does not depend on what happens.” - David Steindl-Rast May 2020 was going to be a celebration month with my graduation and wedding. Then COVID-19 happened. Events that I had dreamed about for years…destroyed. But were they truly destroyed?
Dr. Olivia Creager Class of 2020 Graduate
In the worst of times, God is still at work teaching our world what is truly important in life. Yes, we may have wanted a huge graduation full of people applauding us for all the hard work we put in for so many years. But is that what matters? We will still graduate. We will still share with the world all the skills we have learned. We will still make a difference. And yes, I may have wanted a beautiful wedding with many family and friends present, but I will still marry my best friend in the Sacrament of Marriage. We will still start a life together.
Even though events we have dreamt of have changed, life still goes on. Stay strong, my friends. It is not about what happens or how it happens, but our attitude towards the situation. Enjoy the moments God is giving you; He is painting a picture better than you ever dreamed of! Published in The Word: UIW Community Newsletter, April 17, 2020. Mrs. Bianca Resendez, Class of 2023 As a mother of four children - two in elementary, one in middle school and my oldest in high school - being quarantined has been an interesting time. At any given moment, we could all be in a Zoom session or reviewing recorded lectures to continue learning. I was determined to make sure their school was top priority while keeping them safe at home. Since starting pharmacy school, utilizing delivery for groceries became a necessity due to studying and coordinating schedules with my children and husband. I made sure we stayed home and had the essentials we needed by taking advantage of the service I was already using. The only one who left the house was my husband, who is currently serving on active duty at Fort Sam Houston. He eventually worked two weeks from home due to a soldier testing positive for COVID-19 in his building. I only left the house once a week to work in the pharmacy. I felt the urge to work more hours during this time because, as a pharmacy technician, we are essential, and I wanted to contribute. I also knew during a time with so many unknowns, staying at home with my family was more important than ever.
Living through a pandemic is something I never thought I would experience. As scary as the situation is and the precautions we have to take, I found this time one I could cherish. I became a full-time mom again. I was cooking daily, cleaning and organizing my home. I made sure my children maintained a sense of normalcy when we couldn’t leave our home. When the outside world seemed to come to a standstill, inside my home I found a peace because I am able to live with the people who matter the most to me.
As a friendly reminder to all FSOP graduates and alumni, changes in pharmacist employment or address must be reported to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy within 10 days of a change. Change of address or employment can be submitted at this website: https://www.pharmacy.texas.gov/changeaddress.asp
VISIT
THE
FS O P A L U M N I W E B S I T E
The FSOP web address is http://pharmacy.uiw.edu/. From the school’s home page, please visit your Alumni and Giving page and click on Alumni Stories. We welcome your feedback and hope you will share your accomplishments and stories with us as well, by emailing Ms. Etter at etter@uiwtx.edu. Please visit us here often and keep in touch!
Additionally, please remember the official FSOP Alumni Facebook page. It is a great way to reconnect with your fellow graduates and keep up with the school, social events and volunteer opportunities. Joining the group is easy. Just click on this link for UIW Feik School of Pharmacy Alumni: http://bit.ly/FeikAlumni. If you run into any problems joining the group, please email Dr. Maize, at maize@uiwtx.edu. The Feik looks forward to keeping in touch and catching up with our Alumni.
Follow us on Social Media:
@UIWFeikPharmacy
Follow Dr. Maize on Social Media:
@drdavid.maize @drdavidfmaize
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