...because we are in Omaha, NE for the Midwest Pharmacy Residents Conference (MPRC)! I just finished my first regional residents conference experience. It was a whirlwind of resident presentations, an MPRC-PPMI mock summit session, making new connections, and (most importantly) spending some quality social time with my co-residents and preceptors from KUH.
All of the conference participants and attendees arrived at the Embassy Suites in Omaha on Wednesday, May 4. The hotel had a Manager's Reception in the early evening, which was a great opportunity to catch-up with friends from all over the Midwest. I was also introduced to friends of friends as the chatter in the room echoed relief of matching with PGY2 programs, excitement of being offered a first
real job, or still anticipating the next steps in a professional career.
The first presentations began Thursday morning at 7:30 am. Luckily, the conference coordinators had great foresight in planning and had coffee/water stations outside the presentation rooms. I would not have survived without refills of my Cup o' Joe! Being from a residency program of 14 total residents (PGY1 & PGY2), most of my time was dedicated to offering moral support and attending the presentations of my co-residents. I did get to attend external (non-KU) presentations and I was amazed at the research projects that residents have been slaving over all year! Implementation of MTM services to facilitate transitions in phases of care -- Active promotion of the Zostavax vaccine to protect against Herpes Zoster Virus -- Comparison of anti-Xa assay and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) therapeutic drug monitoring in patients on standard dose weight based heparin protocol -- and the list continues. If you are curious about the types of research presented this week at MPRC, I encourage to read through the list of
project titles and objectives online.
I presented my spring research project- Creation and Implementation of a Pharmacy Technician Education and Development Plan at an Academic Medical Center- on Friday morning at 8:30 am. I braced myself to not be disappointed if there was a small turnout, given that Thursday was a full day of presentations from 7:30 am to 5:15 pm (and cinco de mayo). It was most encouraging when a handful of non-KU preceptors walked in the door just minutes before my presentation began. These non-KU persons offered great questions and gave me additional items to add to my list of "future considerations" for our technician education plan at KUH. More importantly, they provided me with valuable feedback both relating to the presentation content and my communication style. I present to my co-residents and preceptors at KUH almost monthly, so it was beneficial to have this outside feedback from someone watching me present for the first time.
Another milestone is complete in my PGY1 pharmacy residency journey. Best wishes to all residents who are presenting at their respective resident conferences. To those of you who have completed your presentations, congratulations on your milestone and completing your research!