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2016 Summer Meeting Experience

By Lois Kim posted 06-21-2016 10:35

  

Good morning!

 

I hope everyone’s having a good summer so far! Last week, I was able to attend 2016 ASHP Summer Meeting and I would like to take some time to share my experience with you. ASHP Summer Meeting provided a great opportunity for everyone, ranging from straight out of 1st year pharmacy students to experienced pharmacists. It provided the chance to learn, network, and be a part of the progression of health-system pharmacy profession.

 

 

Day 1: The “Pre-Summer Meeting”

This year’s ASHP Summer Meeting was held in Baltimore, MD. As this year’s ASHP summer intern, I had the opportunity to participate and observe Pharmacy Student Forum Executive Committee Meeting that occurred a day before the conference. It was great to meet this year’s Student Forum EC members and see first-hand how much time and effort they put in to represent pharmacy students and our pharmacy profession. Participating in the Student Forum EC meeting has made me realize how much potential we, as student pharmacists, have in representing our profession and that we have a say in changing the future of our profession.

 

Day 2 to 6: 2016 ASHP Summer Meeting

Participating in this year’s ASHP Summer Meeting has been an eye-opening experience for me. Not only was I able to attend many of the sessions offered in the conference, but as a summer intern, I was able to be a part of the ASHP staff and see a glimpse of the behind the scene work of Summer Meeting. This included the early morning staff meetings, making sure each conference room is prepared for the next session, monitoring during sessions to make sure everything goes smoothly, etc. (Mind you, I think on some days I drank as much coffee as I do during final exam week) But regardless of the busy schedule, all of the ASHP staff never failed to smile and laugh throughout the entire Summer Meeting. It was such a privilege to work with them and a rewarding experience to get a taste of the behind the scene work of Summer Meeting.

 

I also had the chance to participate in several sessions ASHP Summer Meeting offered. There were variety of sessions ranging from leadership or advocacy workshop targeted for pharmacy students, to topics of how to integrate clinical pharmacists into medical staff to name a few. As a first time attendee of Summer Meeting, one of the meetings I found interesting was the House of Delegates meetings. There, the House of Delegates discussed and reviewed policy proposals that covered current hospital pharmacy related issues, such as advocating for ban on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising. As a pharmacy student, the House of Delegates meeting introduced me to hospital pharmacy related issues I wasn’t aware of before and about what ASHP’s stance is regarding these issues.

 

In addition, what made the Summer Meeting so rewarding was the constant opportunity to network. The conference was large enough where there were pharmacists and pharmacy students from all over the nation, but small enough where you can find yourself exchanging business cards or having a lunch with an experienced pharmacist who has travelled worldwide. Some of the sessions I attended involved group discussions or activities, providing more opportunities to network. And there were even sessions dedicated for networking such as ConnectLIVE!, where people had the chance to introduce themselves, discuss certain pharmacy related topics or problem, and exchange ideas and possible solutions in a round table setting.

 

 

Overall, I found this year’s ASHP Summer Meeting truly worthwhile. From the invaluable sessions and workshops to the opportunity to meet so many inspiring pharmacists and pharmacy students, I have gained so much from this conference and highly encourage everyone to attend!



#SummerMeeting #Meetings #Leadership #PharmacyStudents
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07-01-2016 07:41

Thanks for sharing Lois! It was a pleasure having you join us for the PSFEC meeting to kick off our time in Baltimore. Hoping to hear more about your experience as a summer intern as your time at ASHP progresses!