It’s no secret that the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting is not an event to miss, but are you looking for a smaller meeting that allows for more personalization? The ASHP Summer Meetings & Exhibition is the perfect stepping stone and is often referred to as a more intimate version of the Midyear Clinical Meeting. Its unique quality comes from the four content-targeted conferences that are held concurrently: the Ambulatory Care Conference, Medication Safety Collaborative, Informatics Institute, as well as Pharmacy, Practice and Policy.
As an incoming third year pharmacy student and current ASHP Summer Intern, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Summer Meetings for the second time. My experience was nothing short of amazing, and I feel immensely privileged to be able to help out with many behind-the-scene organizational tasks this year. I love the Summer Meetings because there are constant opportunities to network with students across the nation and more importantly, with influential leaders in our profession. The student programming is well designed, balanced, and focuses on the important issues that we may face as we advance through our professional and personal lives. This year, the sessions included the Meet and Greet with Pharmacy Leaders, Strategies for Personal and Professional Success Workshop, and Student Advocacy Workshop.
The Strategies for Personal and Professional Success Workshop was offered for the first time this year, and turned out to be my personal favorite. Distinguished pharmacy leaders spoke about critical topics including emotional intelligence, mentor-coach-sponsor relationships, work-life integration, and self-assessment. It encouraged me to take a step back from the student role and dedicate some of my time for a much needed self-reflection in order to pinpoint what I can improve upon.
Another aspect of the Summer Meetings that I particularly enjoyed was the House of Delegates and Open Forum sessions. I’ll have to admit that the word “policy” did not get me jumping around for joy prior to this, but attending these sessions was eye-opening. The House of Delegates reviewed policy proposals that address the current pressing issues of pharmacy, and much to my surprise, I understood them as a student. The delegates' passion for the pharmacy field is evident through their insightful comments and inspired me to fuel my own interest for the policies presented.
Although I was attending the meeting for the second time, I still had an abundance of activities that I wanted to partake in. The educational and poster sessions are different every year, with the aim of educating on the most current and important issues of pharmacy. Some of my favorite sessions this year touched upon the ongoing opioid crisis, pharmacogenomics, technology optimization, and ways to improve patient safety. The networking sessions are equally rewarding, whether it be meeting new people, seeing familiar faces, or discussing interesting topics such as Women in Pharmacy Leadership. Furthermore, the meeting is held in different cities every year, giving me an excuse to go travel and sightsee whenever I have some free time from the meeting.
The ASHP Summer Meetings & Exhibition is truly worthwhile because of its versatility and intimacy. There is no other national meeting like it. If you have never attended this conference before, I highly encourage you to consider. Next year’s Summer Meeting will be held in Denver, Colorado on June 2-6, so I hope to see you there!
For more information: http://www.ashpmedia.org/sm17/
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