Ever since I entered pharmacy school, I have continued to hear about the value of extracurricular activities. Most of us are aware of the importance of getting involved throughout our training and as new practitioners. Not only does it help develop our extracurricular education and leadership skills, it also prepares us to manage a well-balanced career.
As an incoming first year student I found it quite overwhelming to suddenly be exposed to so many leadership opportunities. I wasn’t familiar with any of the events or pharmacy organizations. I knew I needed to get involved but didn’t know where to start. Coming from an athletic environment, I wasn’t familiar with these kinds of extracurricular activities. However, during my undergraduate degree, I did have the opportunity to gain some experience with research and I wanted to help with another project as a Pharm.D. student. This past semester I decided to pursue a project seeking to develop therapeutic interventions in patients with non-resolving inflammatory conditions such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Several pharmacy schools are research intensive and therefore, there are many opportunities available for students to help with a wide range of clinical or bench-top research projects. Faculty members are often willing and ready to offer students such experiences. Research is a great way for us to apply what we learn in a different environment and gain additional skills that may come in very handy in the near future. Conducting research can be a very complex process. If you are looking forward to applying for residencies, it might be helpful to familiarize yourself with this process. Residents are required to complete a research project of their own so getting a head start can definitely help set yourself apart.
If you have never been involved with research, I would highly encourage you to give it a try. There are a wide variety of research areas to discover. Consider speaking with one of your faculty members to find out what you could help them with. Additional experience is always rewarding.