APhA-ASP Virtual Student Exchange Program

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ContactContact PersonPerson -- AllyAlly Campbell,Campbell, APhA-ASPAPhA-ASP USAUSA

In the month of October, the United States celebrates American Pharmacists and the roles they play in maintaining health and wellness for our community. To promote “October is Pharmacists’ Month” in the United States, the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) organized a virtual student exchange program during the month of October to promote the pharmacy profession and showcase available opportunities for student pharmacists in the United States and from other countries.

This event also served as a student-exchange whereby students from around the world joined to discuss the pharmacy practice setting in their respective countries.

Figure 1. Zoom session of Virtual SEP. The event was held over three weekends so as to allow maximum participation from all students. The first day consisted of introductions and a welcome from the APhA-ASP President and the IPSF representatives from the USA. Thereafter, the students played virtual games through Kahoot and ended the night with a networking and getting to know each other session. The second and third days comprised of introductions to different pharmacy settings in the United States. Some of the areas in which pharmacists can contribute and play a role are Academia/Research, Community/Retail pharmacy, Hospital/Clinical pharmacy, and Industry/Pharmaceutical pharmacy. We conducted a Q&A session with representatives from each of the practice areas just mentioned and asked for testimonials on their experiences. Thereafter, we had a live panel of students to answer questions from any participant about any of the practice areas.

After each day’s session, we divided students into breakout groups to share their thoughts on the discussions and ask any further questions they may have. Students also had the opportunity to share contact information and social media in order to stay connected after the virtual SEP. We made sure to have USA’s IPSF Representatives (SEO, SEO-elect, CP, NPC) in those breakout rooms to moderate, answer any questions, and collect feedback from the participants.

In conclusion, the event was a success with over 580 students participating from all around the world. Students had the opportunity to learn about different pharmacy practice areas in the United States, ask questions, and share the opportunities the pharmacy profession holds in their countries. Since we were unable to participate in the IPSF SEP this past year, this event gave the students an opportunity to connect and engage with their profession at a larger scale. This event also allowed us to advertise IPSF and its benefits to the student pharmacists in United States.