students
globalization
Breaking barriers
The Alpha Iota Pi Health Fair, held in November at St. Thomas of Aquinas Church in Monterey Park, provided student pharmacists an opportunity to screen or immunize approximately 300 area residents. The main patient populations in the area are Latino and Chinese, and students were prepared to meet the challenges of language barriers with translators and speakers at every station.
Global ties Associate Dean Michael Wincor headed to Malaysia to expand the School of Pharmacy’s worldwide influence.
Edward Thanasombat, PharmD student, is immunized by a fellow student at the fair.
PHARMACY STUDENTS PREPARE FOR FUTURE CAREERS The annual 2009 School of Pharmacy Career Showcase was held on October 13 in the lobby of Hoffman Hall. The event offers students an opportunity to network with representatives from a diverse cross section of future employers, including community pharmacies, hospitals, managed care and industry. Many students attending the event learn about employment opportunities while still in school. Tamara Palagashvili, a second-year PharmD student, was hoping to find out about possible externships. “I want to talk to the different representatives and see what they have available. It’s very helpful,” she said. Representatives discussed a range of available positions, including internships, externships and full-time hires. Blake
Taylor, who represented Asereth Medical Services, said she was looking for students to fill full-time positions upon graduation. “I’m hoping to meet new students and continue to develop relationships with continuing students,” explained Taylor. Other students were there to learn more about the different career fields available to pharmacy students. “We’re used to focusing on in-patient and out-patient care,” said Ernest Suh, a first-year PharmD student. “This is a good way to get more information about other options.” Binh Nguyen, PharmD (‘99), a representative from the U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, also felt that informing students about their options is an important aspect of the career showcase. “We want to educate students about public health, and let them know that there are opportunities out there aside from traditional pharmacy jobs,” he said. This year’s showcase had 22 exhibitors on hand to discuss opportunities with the hundreds of students who attended.
making the difference
Board of Councilor member Rosemarie Christopher coordinates an annual interview prep day that provides students an opportunity to refine their resumes and gain interview tips from working professionals. Here Michael Blasco, MS in regulatory science (’07), Abbott Vascular, advises regulatory science student Aminat Adebiyi on her resume.
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In Malaysia, Professor Michael Wincor established a formal academic exchange agreement with Cyberjaya University, opening doors for students and faculty on both sides of the Pacific to experience pharmacy practice in a different environment. Wincor’s other activities in Malaysia included serving as an external reviewer for the final stages of accreditation of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program at Cyberjaya Univeristy where he also presented a symposium on pharmacy education and practice in the US to faculty, government pharmacists and students. Wincor also facilitated an interactive psychiatric pharmacy workshop for thirty pharmacists from Kuala Lumpur and other parts of Malaysia. “Our agreement with Cyberjaya University is our first formal exchange agreement with faculty of pharmacy in Malaysia,” said Wincor. In a meeting with the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health in Malaysia, Wincor had an opportunity to present ways of extending training programs to the country’s work-
Associate dean of globalization and continuing professional development Michael Wincor (left) with colleagues from Cyberjaya University in Malaysia: Dr. Mohd Salmi bin Mohd Sohod, provost; Dr. Tan Sri Datuk Johari b. Mat, president; and Dr. Shaharuddin Mohd Amn, dean.
B. Mat, received a PhD in Public Administration from USC in 1978, and the Dean, Dr. Shaharuddin Mohd Amn, received his MS in Nuclear Pharmacy in 1982 and PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1987, both from the USC School of Pharmacy.
In a meeting with the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health in Malaysia, Wincor had an opportunity to present ways of extending training programs to the country’s working pharmacists. ing pharmacists. Further, he worked with colleagues there in the preparation of a proposal for a two-year post-baccalaureate PharmD program at Cyberjaya to be submitted to the Ministry of Health in the near future. In Malaysia, Wincor encountered a strong cardinal and gold presence. The president of Cyberjaya University, Dr. Johari
Wincor is an associate professor in the Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics & Policy and the associate dean of globalization and continuing professional development at the School. For over 25 years, the School of Pharmacy has engaged in international collaborations, working with other institutions in Asia, Europe, Australia, South America and Africa.
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