Winter Break! Finally!

Well - that was definitely the hardest semester yet in pharmacy school! The sheer volume of material is what makes it so hard. No more are the days where you can cram IBHS material into 1 weekend as a P1...if you don't start studying for an ID exam at least a week in advance, you can kiss that A good-bye. This winter break is welcomed by myself and my classmates with open arms in hopes that it will last forever! But - the plus is that we are in the homestretch! Only 1 more semester of classes and then we are on to rotations where some of us will stay in Winchester, but some we will have to say good-bye to as they travel to other cluster locations.

During this semester, we ranked our choices for clusters and received our assignments. I am lucky because I am guaranteed the Winchester cluster as I am married, my husband has a job here, and we own our townhouse here. Because of those things, it is silly to send me to a cluster 2 hours away. A lot of classmates put Winchester as a top choice because they won't have to move and find a new place, the faculty are great as preceptors, and the rotations provide a lot of challenge. After clusters are assigned, you have to rank each individual rotation preference within your cluster. Tonight at midnight is the deadline for those rankings...and I believe we find out what our rotations are for sure by Spring break next semester. So - I'll be looking forward to that!

Next semester I've heard is just as tough as this past semester. We have ICARE Musculoskeletal, ICARE GI/Nutrition, and ICARE Neuro/Psych. In addition to those tough classes, we have Pharmacy Law, sterile compounding lab, PK/PGx, Patient Assessment II, IPPE V, and a professional practice selective (mine is Institutional). So - we will see how that goes. I already feel like I am getting a bit of senioritis though as far as the end of classes go. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

As for break, I just finished working every day since finals except 1 for a total of 45 hours and I finally have the next 4 days off to enjoy. For the remainder of break, I'll probably work a little bit more...but I plan on cooking and baking some yummy food, visiting family, and LOVING that I don't have that nagging feeling that there is something that I should be studying!

Almost done with P2 Fall Semester

It was entertaining last night with a two and half hour Internet outage for most of Virginia. Comcast apparently had some issues with their server that handled DNS (Domain Name System) or the Internet address directory. It would have been nice if I knew about this and did not have to spend an hour resetting the modem and router a couple times.

The five-day Thanksgiving break was a well-needed opportunity for sleep and relaxation. This year, it was livelier than last year in Ashburn, since there were more students who were still in town to hold a potluck dinner. As usual, the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, and I decided to venture off to Walmart for a portable hard drive in order to backup my precious schoolwork. All I can say is that with two Walmarts within a few miles from each other, the odds of getting any of those limited and non-major items were better.

Finally, finals week will start next week, so it will be that time of the semester to start cramming for them. Like most of my classmates, we did not do much studying during the Thanksgiving break. I’m glad that we have Monday off during final’s week for extra studying this semester. As of now, I have 2 finals on both Tuesday and Thursday, and 1 final on both Wednesday and Friday. That’ll be it for now as I get back to studying and put the finishing touches on the Biostats project and presentation that is due on Friday.

Few events occuring

Things have been getting more busy lately with exams on a weekly basis, so I have been behind on updating the blog. Aside from schoolwork, I was involved with several events and extracurricular activities. Last week, we had several schools and companies participate in our yearly job fair. What a great way to end the week with free stuff and an opportunity to learn more about residencies, internships, and jobs. I met a familiar face among the crowd of recruiters. It was the pharmacist at Target I had worked with during the summer for the 70 hours of IPPE requirement.

The day after, Kappa Psi held its annual event called “Combest Bonfire.” It was intended for people to socialize and taste Dr. Combest’s famous apple cider. If by any chance you happen to miss out on this delicious cider, you have one more opportunity the week after during the Combest’s apple cider fundraiser hosted by AMCP. The bonfire was entertaining this year with a hike up a mountain, chili contest, some tasty food, and a scary movie.

Finally, I am grateful to my fellow classmates for showing up for the Habitat for Humanity event for NCPA. We had a great time helping the volunteers with the finishing touches on a home for a well deserving family. The organization created an environmentally friendly home by insulating and covering any holes in the structure. Despite it being cold outside, it was nice and cozy inside without a heater. Guess that’ll be it for now and I will resume working on the research project for my Biostats course.

Survival of the Fittest

So - P3 year is definitely proving to be the most difficult so far. We just got through our first round insane exam-taking with insane amounts of material and I barely survived. This is definitely where those who are on top of their game and have perfected their study technique will make it, and those who aren't, won't. We completed our first ICARE module (endo/repro) this past week and started the next one, which is heme/onc, today. Before endo repro, I never knew how complicated a girl's life can really be - birth control, pregnancy, labor, delivery, lactation, menopause...ugh, can't wait.

Aside from all of the tests, I have been quite busy with other things as well. I am a co-chair for operation immunization in APhA and we have been working on setting up some flu clinics. Also, the leadership fraternity, PLS, is accepting new members and we recently went through applications to select those who we may want to extend an invitation to. My fraternity, KE, is having an induction for some new members this Friday and also hosting a bowling event tomorrow night along with a dinner for survivors in two weeks. Class officers are meeting tomorrow to discuss events related to graduation. And we have a project for a class we are (supposed to be) working on in the mean time that I need to start focusing on. This project requires us to create our own pharmacy in every aspect and present it to the class along with to the teacher in the form of a paper.

And I gotta fit the hub and pup in there somewhere! Needless to say, fall break (this past mon and tues) was a welcome break and I can't wait for Thanksgiving break! Today we are having a meeting about rotations and ranking where we would like to be in terms of our clusters. I am going to put down Winchester because we own property here and it would be crazy financially for me to try to live somewhere else. I have heard this is a circumstance that guarantees you a spot. Should be interesting to see where everyone wants to go.

I will try to update more often from now on!

Second year of pharmacy school

It feels like it was only yesterday that I was a P1 studying in Ashburn. Time has flown by so quickly and I am now in my second year at Winchester already. The events at Ashburn will be a lasting memory that I will have, since this is my first experience living on the east coast. I’ll miss those days when it took about an hour to drive to Washington D.C. to enjoy the city’s nightlife or to get Korean food in Annandale. However, those places are still accessible with an extra hour on top of the usual commute time.

It has been several weeks into the school year and I finally feel like I have settled into Winchester. I’m currently living with a fellow classmate from Ashburn. It’s funny how several of my Ashburn classmates ended up living in close proximity with each other. A few of the guys, with the intention of residing in a large home, ended up living next to us in Stuart Hill Apartments. Some of the girls ended up living in a group at a condo complex. It’s wonderful that all my classmates live fairly close to the area so we can spend more time together. It isn’t like last year in Ashburn where half the class was commuting an hour away from areas such as Maryland or Winchester.

So far P2 year feels a bit laid back in terms of classes. We get out of class fairly early for most days and the latest class for some is until 3. Unfortunately, Wednesdays is a long day for me with an elective that does not end until 8:30 at night. So far the semester has been manageable for the transition back into the schooling mentality. The courses I’m taking this semester include pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, nonprescription medications, biostatistics, and pharmacotherapy outcomes. The courses are getting more rigorous but interesting as we hit the more in depth subjects. Besides schoolwork, I’ll be busy juggling involvement with activities for Kappa Psi and running the student NCPA chapter.

Stay tuned for further updates about being a P2 at BJD.

P3 Year Begins

Is it finally my last year of classes? I guess it feels more like, is it ALREADY my last year of classes? These last two years at pharmacy school have been a blur! I can't believe it has gone by so fast. But for this P3 year, it is just beginning. I am a little bit scared of my ICARE classes this year...I have head that Infectious Disease is the toughest class yet. It may be my last year, but also my hardest!

Even though the classes may be more difficult, I also feel more comfortable in the school than ever. I am super excited for all upcoming events for the organizations that I am a part of. It seems like there is at least one event every week that I have to look forward to. I know that with all the business going on, it will make this year FLY by. (I'm hoping!)

The first week of class has been a good one as far as school goes. It was great to see friends again that I lost touch with over the summer. It's also nice to work less! Not sure about that working world yet - I am glad to return to school! I have all of the normal P3 classes in addition to two electives. For my electives I am taking Intro to Mental Health and Spanish for Pharmacists - both of which seem very interesting and like they will be a fun learning experience (Si! Muy bien!). In terms of how the first week was outside of school...it has been a bit hectic. My pup, Lily, got spayed on Thursday and it has been a challenge keeping my hyper dog calm. She has also started exhibiting some weird phantom pregnancy symptoms that we hoped would go away - like nesting and hoarding her stuffed toys like they are her puppies. Yeah - needless to say it has been interesting. We hope she heals quickly and this passes fast because it has been taking a toll on my sleeping schedule!

Well, guess it's time to start studying...

Summer Time = Work Time

P2 year finally has come to an end and summer is well underway. During the last few weeks of school, things got a little crazy busy and there was no time to update. Finals was two weeks of non-stop studying and things went alright. During those last two weeks of school my husband was also in the process of switching jobs, which added on nicely to the stress. He started his new job on my first day of summer so things are back to normal. But now, instead of school, I am stuck with work.
This summer, I trying to get as many hours as I can at CVS. We are also required to complete 70 unpaid hours at both a community store and an institutional facility (hospital). I completed my hospital hours last summer at Winchester Medical Center and am planning on completing my community hours at CVS in Stephens City - which is not my home store, but it is closer to my house and easier to sneak out of to let out my pup. It's kind of depressing working long days without pay, but it's only for about 7 or 8 days total our of the whole summer so its best to just bear it and get it over with.
Other than work, it feels great to be able to come home and have free time while not worrying about studying...can't beat that!

Finishing P1 year

It’s sad that time flies and a year has already passed. I’m officially done with my P1 year and I am free to relax for the summer. Unfortunately, I still have one more assignment that needs to be completed before I’m actually done. I am still required to spend 70 hours in either an institutional or community pharmacy during the summer for my IPPE course. We actually have an incomplete for that course until we actually fulfill the 70 hours. I am looking forward to acquiring new experience during my hours at a Target pharmacy this summer.

It has been an entertaining school year at BJD and my transition to life in Virginia has been wonderful. I enjoyed the small class environment and the accessibility of the professors. I learned a great deal of new knowledge that will benefit me in my career. I look forward to next year when I will learn even more in-depth knowledge as a P2. In addition, I will be more involved with events hosted by Kappa Psi and promoting interest in community pharmacy as the NCPA president.

All things eventually must come to an end and this will be my last post. I’m signing out as a P1 and looking forward to my new status as a P2.

Before finals

Yesterday was the last day of lectures and now it is time to shift our attention on the upcoming finals. Before I began to prepare for my finals, I had one more moment to relax and celebrate the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester. The school has given us today as a holiday to enjoy the festivities. From carnival rides to food stands, there are many activities that people can partake in. Interestingly, one of the food vendors sold jumbo turkey legs and it is worth checking out. Val Kilmer was present at the festival as the Grand Marshal. Our school was involved in the events and they hosted a one-hour Wale concert at the school stadium. I will be looking forward to the festival again during the next school year when I will be taking classes in Winchester.

Also, we had a pharmacy formal last weekend to end the school year as well. It was hosted by the three pharmacy fraternities. It was a fun night to enjoy the company of our fellow classmates and to dance the night away. For future incoming students, it has always been a tradition for our Student Dean, Dr. Kirkpatrick to dance with all the male students. She will only leave the party after she has danced with all of the male students at the event.

We accomplished a great deal this semester with our service learning course. The project for this semester was to raise money for Capital Hospice. Capital Hospice is one of the first and largest non-profit organizations in the United States to provide end-of-life care. The funds raised will help them towards the new unit that they will be opening in Loudoun County. We raised about $725 with several fundraising events such as bakes sales, a car wash, and a yard sale.

That’s all for now, I have to get back to studying for my finals next week.

Last Day Of Classes Ever

Today marks an important milestone in my life. Today was the last day of classes I will ever have in my academic career. Up to this point my life has been focused on doing well in classes. Now as I prepare for my last week of finals I see myself at a crossroad. Although my classroom education will soon cease, a new chapter in my quest for learning will start in a matter of weeks.

Soon I will start rotations. During rotations the primarily passive nature of my learning will shift gears. I can no longer regurgitate the concepts I have been taught, but will have to actually apply the knowledge that my professors have worked so hard to teach me. There will no longer be diabetic patient scenarios whose insulin doses I need to titrate, but real patients with diabetes who probably have other disease states that I have to consider as well. I won't be solving for a patient's creatinine clearance on a pharmacokinetics exam, but instead I will be calculating the creatinine clearance of an ICU patient who is on cefuroxime and needs his dose adjusted. I won't be counseling a 4th year "patient" on how to use an insulin pen, but instead will have to counsel a real patient who is starting insulin for the first time in her life, explain that there is no need to be afraid of needles, and demonstrate how to properly self-administer the insulin needed. These are just a sample of scenarios I may encounter while on rotations. The spectrum of patients I will encounter will far surpass the sampling I saw in school. So although my classroom based education is now coming to an end, the hands on learning is about to be taken to the next level.

Although none of our experiences will be exactly the same, one thing that is common for all of us in the P3 class is excitement. Some of us are excited that classes are over, others are excited to start rotations, and then there are the ones like me who are excited for both reasons. In preparation for this major transition we have had several meetings in regards to what to expect on our rotations. The list of tasks and projects we have t do during rotations looks like a road map to me (and a landmine field to others). At the end of that road map will be what I have sacrificed many social occasions and put in years of hard work for...my Pharm D.

One of the great ways that the spring semester ends each year here at BJD is Phollies. Phollies is an event that students and staff work together to create funny parodies, videos, and skits as a away to reflect the last year. Some videos are parodies of our unique experiences here at BJD and others are more related to the current pop culture. But every year on the last day of classes, all the videos are shown and a few skits are performed, while the whole school turns out to laugh, laugh, and laugh until tears are streaming down our faces. Phollies is an event that I always look forward too, especially this year, since the P3 class is the one who organizes it each year and it is wonderful to see all the hard work and unique talents people put into organizing such a great event.

Good luck on finals!

Trying Times

It's been quite a while for me, things have been quite busy/crazy. Last time I wrote, I just just survived P2 "hell week" and was happy to be done. My puppy, Lily, is now starting to let me study a little bit more so I have been able to keep up with material a little bit better. DO NOT GET A PUPPY IN PHARMACY SCHOOL UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO HELP YOU!! I would definitely fail everything if it were not for my husband helping me with Lily. She just graduated puppy class today and starts the next level up next week..we are very proud :)

As for school, I have been trying to keep up with ICARE as we go along, but that plan was totally ruined when unpredictable life hit. On April 31st, my grandfather passed away suddenly in his home. I have never experienced the death of someone close to me before, let alone someone in my family (other than my dog growing up - and that's not easy either). It was really hard on me. My mother informed me with the news that night (Wednesday) and told us to stay tuned for funeral plans. That upcoming weekend was Easter so the probability of the funeral falling before that weekend was not likely due to Holy Week. Gannon and I were already planning on traveling home for the holiday, but our plans as to where we were going and for how long changed. Turns out the funeral was on Saturday and the burial on Monday. We left Friday evening and returned Monday night. The weekend was pretty terrible, it is never a good time. But, it set me up for a rough upcoming week. That week after Easter, we had two ICARE exams back to back - Wednesday and Thursday. These exams are not easy and are not ones that should be studied for the night before or even 2 days before...but due to the circumstances, I was pretty much forced to do so. I was not allowed to take either of the exams later according to school policy - if you are not absent on the day of the exam, you will not be able to take it later (NOTE THIS!). I did not know this going into the weekend and returned on Monday to find out I had to cram for 2 ICARE exams. The next couple days were not pleasant but I managed to make it through with better than average grades that I did not expect to achieve. For this I am proud of myself.

Then, to end the week, I was inducted into Rho Chi, which is the honors fraternity in pharmacy school. We had a guest speaker, Dr. Newton (we all love him), and a very nice luncheon that was catered for us and our guests. To get accepted into Rho Chi, you must be in the top 20% of your class. It is a great honor to be in it and I am happy my hard work paid off!

This coming week is flamingo flocking week for my fraternity, Kappa Epsilon. During this week, teachers and students pay KE members to "flock", or set up plastic flamingos, in other teachers or students yards. It's really pretty funny and teachers love it. I'm looking forward to finally having a week of fun and no exams! BUT before that, I have to study for a top200 quiz tomorrow. Time to start...

Overdue Update

I’ve been over due on updating my P1 life this past month. To summarize the events within the past month, we experienced a big snowfall before the start of spring break. I did not have class for about a week as a result of it. The snowstorm gave me more time to study for the exam that was postponed. However, I thought it was irritating to prepare for the exam and later hear an announcement of another day of canceled classes. With this lost week, schoolwork got rushed as we tried to compensate for the missed days. Unfortunately, we ended up holding an additional class session after our normal classes to make up for the missed lecture in pharmacogenomics.

Schoolwork eventually leveled off and I had more time to become involved with my extracurricular activities. During the last weekend of February, several organizations, including some from our school, operated the health booths at the nearby Apple Blossom Mall in Winchester. From offerings such as free flu shots to health screenings, it was a health fair to promote wellness to the community. I was there with some of my fellow brothers in the Vial of Life booth by the Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. These vials that we handed out would contain important medical information that can help in emergencies. With a decal on the front door of the house and the fridge, the emergency personnel will know about the vial in the fridge.

Despite academics, I still have to set aside time for social activities. This past week, I went with several of my classmates to a club in Washington DC called “The Park at Fourteenth”. With four different floors playing different music, there is something for everyone. Besides clubs, good food is also our focus. About 40 minutes away from Ashburn, there is a Korean community in the city named Annandale. My fellow classmates and I went there for a Korean barbeque buffet restaurant called “Il Mee” at 10:00 pm for their nighttime special. At the current price of $10, it’s a great deal if you can wait that late to eat dinner.

That’ll be all for now and stay tuned for more updates.

Spring Enthusiasm

It has been a while since I last wrote here and quite a lot has occurred. Rotation sites and dates have been announced. Another ICARE is over and done with. Our first law exam has come and gone without much of a scar being left behind. Oh and I went to my first national pharmacy convention.


So rotations are not too far from now, trying to stay focused on classes is a bit of a challenge because of how excited I am about my upcoming rotations! I start off easy with a community rotation at a company that I have worked at before, so I think it will be a nice transition away from schoolwork. Then, after that, I have 15 weeks at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. I am very excited about those 3 rotations. I will be completing my inpatient/acute care, drug information, and one of my selective rotations there. I have heard positive feedback from other pharmacy students who have had the opportunity to work at Hopkins. Not only did they gain much knowledge from their preceptors but they also had a variety of experiences. It will probably entail a great deal of hard work, but I am nonetheless excited because of how much I stand to learn from that experience. Next up will be my ambulatory care rotations at Kaiser Permanente. I am also looking forward to that rotation because I have the least experience in the ambulatory care setting. My past jobs have been in the retail setting and I did some IPPE hours in a hospital setting. Afterwards I will be at Georgetown University Hospital for my second selective rotation which I know will deal with the neurosurgery ICU and infectious disease. After our infectious disease course here at school I definitely think this rotation will be important. Regardless of what setting I will end up practicing in, infectious disease will probably have a role because of its wide scope and the more experience I gain in that area the more my future patients will benefit. Then I will be ending my rotations at Suburban Hospital with my institutionally based rotation. Suburban Hospital is also affiliated with Johns Hopkins. The rotation line up that I have is exciting and I wish I could fast forward to mid May so I could get started.


But before I can happily skip to rotations I still have classes that I aim to do well in. Right before Spring Break we finished our ICARE course in GI/Nutrition. We have now started ICARE Musculoskeletal. Another major class this semester is Pharmacy Law. The previous class (current fourth year pharmacy students) really scared us about pharmacy law. So when the time for the midterm came I made sure to study hard for it. I wouldn't say I studied too much for the exam but it was not as nerve-wracking as I had anticipated it to be. However, that class has at the very least reminded me that pharmacy suits me better than law does. I think a reason why some pharmacy students may find pharmacy law intimidating or difficult is that it requires a different frame of mind than our other pharmacy school courses do.


During our spring break the APhA Annual Meeting and Expo was held in Washington DC. It was my first time going to a national pharmacy convention and in overall it was an interesting experience. There were not only pharmacists from all over the country but pharmacy students too. Some events we had to attend were discussions as to what issues we as pharmacy students wanted to support that would potentially, later on, help shape the profession of pharmacy. We had to attend these events since we wanted to get reimbursed through the school for our costs of attending the conference. There was an expo, where various pharmacies had booths & freebies. Also branches of the federal government related to pharmacy e.g. FDA, IHS etc, and pharmaceutical companies were there showing off their latest products. There was even a booth there promoting grapefruit juice and also various other pharmacy organizations had booths there too. One of the interesting programs at the convention was a student information showcase on PGY1 (post-graduate year 1) community pharmacy residencies. This branch of pharmacy residencies is smaller than the more widely known PGY1 residencies that are done in a hospital setting. Going to such an event and seeing all the various possibilities for a pharmacist is a great way to become enthusiastic again about the field of pharmacy.

Conclusion of the Toughest Week in Pharmacy School

This past week is known as "hell week" and we find out about it as soon as we become P1s. Especially in the spring semester of P1 year, the P2s talk about their upcoming "hell week" that consists of midterms/finals in every course for the semester. I knew my time would come, but I was skeptical that the week was really going to be worse than any usual finals week. Yeah, it was way worse.

Monday we had a midterm in Kinetics and a final in ICARE (respiratory). Tuesday, I had an IPPE site visit in the morning with an assignment due by 4pm, and in ICARE (cardio) we had a 2 hour lecture that would be on our exam on Thursday...oh crap. Wednesday we had a midterm in Drug Literature Evaluation. Thursday we had an ICARE (cardio) exam. And finally, today (Friday) we had a large group project due for Drug Lit which was a monograph for an assigned drug. I put the assignment together for my group and just submitted it about an hour ago. YES. Finally home-free for spring break! I survived p2 hell week.

That's not to say that I did well on all of those exams...I just said I survived the week. I did well enough to ensure that I can still get either B's or A's in all of the classes, but not much more than that. There was just soooo much difficult material and the exams were really tough. I think what set this week apart from final exam week is that it is in the midst of all of these other things going and and assignments that are due. Also, during finals week, we don't get material for an exam 2 days before that exam. Having a new puppy might also have something to do with how hard the week was...she definitely takes up a lot of my time and when my husband works late, I often don't get to start studying until 7 at night.

What have I learned? Watch out future p2s! It is as bad as they say. I have also learned that it would be very beneficial to me to be better at keeping up with material in ICARE as we go along. I told myself I would from the beginning, but the puppy kind of prevented that. Now that she is crate trained I will definitely do this more.

I am sooo ready for spring break! My in-laws and parents are both visiting over the break and I will be picking up some hours at CVS. I can't wait to visit with family and be rid of the stress for a at least a couple of days. *Exhale*

Blizzard 2010

So...today is our 5th consecutive day of NO SCHOOL due to 2 snow storms back to back. The first storm was probably the biggest one that Winchester has had in a loooong time. It is the biggest one that I have seen, that's for sure. The accumulation near us was 30 inches of heavy, wet snow. The second storm was only about 5-6 inches, but was accompanied by high winds and gusts which drifted a lot of the snow onto roads and created blizzard conditions. So, I have pretty much been stuck at home with our new pup for the past week. My husband has been diligently shoveling our cars out over and over and also shoveling a deck and a portion of the back yard for the pup. Good thing I have him!

Because we haven't been able to get to school, the teachers and faculty have made a way for us to still get our lecture material either live or via iTunesU. My classes on Monday and Tuesday were recorded on Camtasia which is just a program that teachers record the audio of their lectures on and post on iTunesU. We can then download the audio and follow along on our slides. Yesterday, my ICARE course took place via Elluminate. This program was really interesting and worked pretty well. The teacher gave the lecture live while all of us students logged in from home (and I was in my PJs!). The lecture slides were also visible as the teacher went through them. We were able to ask questions as well either through a text box or via audio. It went pretty smoothly for the first time trying it out and I think my ICARE lecture today will also be held this way. I am happy that there is a way for us to keep up on the material for class without having to schedule make up classes or cut into our spring break time.

Hopefully tomorrow we will be back at class and I can actually SEE people again! That is definitely the weirdest part about this whole thing...I feel very isolated from the world. Things will be back to normal soon. Who knows how long this snow will be on the ground though! My guess is April...but hopefully we will get some really warm days that melt it before then :o)

Giving Back

Wow is it already February? This semester is in full swing now. I have already taken my first exam too and I am currently studying for my second one. Besides exams another big thing for me personally that came to fruition was the Jubilee Kitchen Health Fair. It was a health fair held at a local soup kitchen here in Winchester that I organized with the help of many other people. As pharmacists we are in a field of work that is often about directly interacting with patients, and by volunteering we not only benefit the people we serve but we also hone our patient interaction skills.

We had been planning this health fair since November and to see it finally happen was great! The health fair was a collaborative effort between our school's chapters of Rho Chi, APhA-ASP, and SVSHP. Our target population may have little, if any access to health care, so the few services and brochures that we did provide were greatly appreciated. Initially we were unsure of whether or not they would be receptive to us. We didn't wear our white coats, so that we would seem more friendly and approachable. That, and our smiling faces, and helpful volunteers aided us in attracting about 80 people. Our most popular stations were our blood pressure screenings and our free giveaway table. Although going to a doctor and getting a prescription may not be a viable option for all of the patients we saw, as pharmacists we don't have to just rely on drug recommendations. Our educations are also about recommending non-drug lifestyle changes. The smiles and words of gratitude we received were truly appreciated. It felt like one of those days where I was having a real positive impact on other people. I hope that even after I leave for my rotations this event will be held and made even better than it started out to be.

Beginning the last semester of the P1 year.

It has been a while since I have updated the P1 blog. The weather has been getting colder for the past few days. We are expecting another encounter with snow tomorrow. This might be a good motivator for me to stay home and study for our upcoming pharmacogenomics exam on Monday. I anticipate this semester to be quite intensive based on our schedule. There is an exam almost on a weekly basis, mainly from the course in pharmacogenomics or the IBHS series.

Another new interesting tidbit for us students in Ashburn is that we have finally moved to the new building. The new classroom can seat 46 people ideally, but the design of the room is best suited for 40 students. One row of seats doesn’t provide a good view of the presentation screen. The transition wasn’t smooth during the first week since there was no fridge, microwave, and vending machines for us to utilize. Also, the video conferencing system wasn’t working exactly in tiptop shape. The video signal would suddenly disconnect periodically. A new gimmick we have to get use to as well is that our microphones are always on. Any slight noise will be picked up and transmitted to the main campus.

During the second week of the semester, my classmates and I attended the Fraternity Round Robin event on the main campus. Each fraternity was given 15 minute for introductions and intermingling. The three professional pharmacy fraternities are Kappa Psi, Kappa Epsilon, and Phi Delta Chi. Also there is an honor fraternity called Rho Chi which, is limited to the top 20% of the class. Afterwards, each fraternity held a rush event in the following days.

Guess that will be it for this post and stay tuned for more updates.

Sleep Deprived

This week has been the toughest week of my time at pharmacy school. Last Friday, my husband and I got our puppy, Lily. She is an 8 week old golden retriever mix and is definitely a handful. We got her Friday and we had our first ICARE exam yesterday. SO, in the midst of middle of the night potty breaks, hyper playing, potty training, crate training, and manner training...I also had to find time to study for the Respiratory ICARE exam PLUS a quiz in another class on the same day. Needless to say, it was the least prepared that I have ever felt for an exam. Luckily, it all turned out ok and I was able to get the grade that I wanted...I still am surprised with myself and have no idea how that happened!

Another thing that has been going on is rush week with all of the fraternities. This past week, we handed out our bids to the P1 and P2 class to people who may be interested in joining KE. Something that seems to happen during rush is that people tend to group together with their friends and join whatever their friends are joining. A lot of joining a fraternity is about joining the one that is right for you and that you would feel most passionate about. The large majority of people decided to pledge KY and PDC, and very few pledged KE. It is kind of disappointing for my pledgemaster partner and I, but I guess it means that I will have more free time that I anticipated which is great because I need to make time for the pup. Despite the low numbers, I am excited about who we are getting and I can't wait to see what KE does this semester with our events, fundraisers, and flamingo flocking in the spring. It's always a really good time :o)

Despite the exam yesterday, two exciting things did happen that made the day a bit better. First, I got an invitation to join Rho Chi, which is the honors fraternity at our school. They only take the top 20% of the class and I am thrilled that my hard work has paid off and I made the cut! The fraternity is highly thought of in our school and I am honored to be asked to be a part of it. That means that I am now in 5 organizations, and an officer in 3 of them. I never would have thought that I would be able to handle all of this time committment, but it actually isn't that bad. I still have time for myself, my husband, good grades, and now hopefully a puppy! The other exciting thing that happened was I got asked to be a bridesmaid in one of my best friends' wedding this coming New Years Eve. I was the first of my friends from back home to get married and it is exciting that now I get to go to one of their weddings and be a part of it!

Next week we have another ICARE exam, but in cardio...which I hear is more difficult than respiratory. I plan to start studying for that one tonight, so we will see how that goes. Time to get back to class!

Last Semester of Classes

So last week was the first week of my last semester of classes ever! If you got a little confused by that last statement, I am basically saying I am almost done with pharmacy school classes! The classes that I have this semester consist of: pharmacy law, sterile compounding, patient assessment II, ICARE: GI/nutrition, ICARE: neuro/psychiatry, ICARE: musculoskeletal, institutional practice elective, and pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics III. So although this will be my last semester of classes it will not be my easiest.

In addition to classes some of the organizations I am involved in are also busier in the spring. A major example is Kappa Epsilon. This past week has been Greek Week at pharmacy school. At SU, pharmacy fraternities are not allowed to recruit new members until the spring semester. On the first day of Greek Week we have an event called Round Robin where interested 1st and 2nd year pharmacy students get a brief introduction to all three different fraternities that we have. Then each fraternity hosts an event on its own on a separate date so that prospective members get a better idea of what each one is about. Kappa Epsilon had a luau theme on Tuesday night with plenty of good food to enjoy and various activities that allowed the interested students to mingle with existing members. Although I think we should have done the limbo before we ate all that food.


Another organization I am involved with is Rho Chi. Rho Chi is an honors fraternity that recruits the top 20% of the P2 class during the spring semester of pharmacy school. In the not too distant future we will be sending invitations to these smart pharmacy students to join. This weekend we are holding a health fair in conjunction with the APhA-ASP (American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists). This health fair will be held at a local soup kitchen here in Winchester, where our target population probably does not receive proper health care. So it will be interesting to see how we can help them. I hope this will be a mutually beneficial experience, in that this under served population gets some health advice and that we pharmacy students can improve on our patient interaction skills.


Besides all this we will be finalizing our rotations for the upcoming P4 year. So as you can imagine although this will be my last semester of classes, it will be a very busy one.

Spring Semester: First Week of Classes

The semester has begun. The first week of classes was pretty uneventful...but definitely hit me hard and made me start thinking about getting focused again. All of our classes require no introductions anymore (what undergrad calls "syllabus day") - unfortunately, there are no days like that in pharmacy school. This semester we have started ICARE, which is much dreaded by the P2's. It is more intense than other physiology and pharmacology classes we have had in past and combines all aspects of our difficult classes. So far, it hasn't been too terrible..but there's only been 1 week. The classes are longer blocks of time and more frequent so the material has the potential to build up pretty easily. We will see how that goes!

Another thing that has ruled my time on the first week back is planning for rush week which is next week. Myself and another member of my fraternity, Kappa Epsilon, have been planning both our time for the night of round robin on Monday and for our individual rush night for KE on Tuesday. The purpose of round robin is for those who may be interesting in joining a fraternity to see what they are all about. Each one has a different platform that they suport and it's up to individual preference with which one you think is the right fit. After the initial night of round robin, each fraternity has their own themed party night with dinner provided on the remaining nights of the week. Ours is Tuesday and the theme we chose is Luau. Because I am a new member coordinater, it is my responsibility, along with the other coordinator, to plan this night and all that comes with it. So...needless to say we have been super busy this week designing and printing flyers, handouts and invitiation, ordering food, planning games, and much more.

Other than planning for KE rush, I have been going back to my regular hours at CVS. This semester, my weekday to work is going to be Friday and I also will have to usually work some of Saturday and a few Sundays. Another big thing is next Friday, my husband and I are going to be getting a golden retreiver puppy! We are super pumped and can't wait for this much anticipated addition to our family. My schedule at school will allow me to come home and let her out frequently and my husband also will be working from home some days of the week...so we should be able to manage with everyone else going on as well. Can't wait! Ok, time to get a head start and begin studying for the first ICARE Respiratory exam - its only 10 days away!

Winter Break!

Hello all -

Haven't written in a while. I have been caught up in the Holidays and fun times over Winter break. It has been wonderful to be relaxed and to have nothing to do in between work and errunds. My husband and I both worked for the first week and a half of break (I worked at CVS) and then we headed home for the next week and a half for the holidays. We had about 4 different Christmases with our two families and the extended part of those families all over the state of Pennsylvania (this happens when you are married). I was exhausting but fun. It was great to spend time with my brother and sister-in-law from New Hampshire who we seldom get to see.

Now there's one week left to break and I have a long list of things to do around the house. We just took our Christmas tree down yesterday and resituated the Christmas boxes in our storage space..It was sad. Things I have to do include thank you notes, cleaning the house, going to the bank, getting groceries (we are completely out), and other random things. Currently, I am on hold with the IBM parts department. My computer that the school leases to us has a dead battery. We were warned that we should replace this battery before the warrenty was up in July 2009 (1 year warrenty), but my summer was so crazy with vacations around that time that I forgot! So, I am stuch on hold and going to have to buy the replacement battery which I don't know the price to yet...

Another thing I have to do around the house is to puppy-proof it - we are going to be getting a puppy in about 3 weeks! She is a golden retriever and her name is Lily. We are super-excited and are going to be so exhausted in those first couple weeks! At least most of the rush time for fraternities will be over by the time we get her so I will have an ounce or two more of free time. My co-pledgemaster and I have been working on things over the break for the upcoming round robin and rush nights that are held during the second week of the spring semester. Each fraternity has a rush night where anyone who is interested in joining can come and meet the other members and see if that fraternity might be something they want to be a part of. Each fraternity has its own platform to offer. Our rush night is Luau themed with hula hoops and smoothies for those interested. We have to plan the whole night including the food, games, decorations, and apparel. After rush night, we send out bids and those who wish to join return the bids to us by a certain date. Then we start pledge meetings and so on. SO I will be kept pretty busy the first couple weeks of school...there may be no exams yet, but I will have rushing and a puppy to worry about instead. I can't wait!

Still on hold...I am going to work on some more stuff around the house. I work about 25 hours this week so I will have enough time to get all of these things done AND relax! I must enjoy winter break to its fullest!