Alpha Chi Annual Report: 2007-2008

 

 

Name of School/College: Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Wayne State University

 

Chapter Name and Region: Alpha Chi Chapter, Region IV

 

Delegate who attended the Rho Chi Annual Meeting: Kaitlin Lulek

 

Date Delegate’s name was submitted to Rho Chi: March 2008

 

Past year’s officers and e-mail addresses:

President:                     Trevor Wood, ay1375@wayne.edu

Vice President:              Marcie Ferraro, ay1370@wayne.edu

Secretary:                     Jennifer Sholy, ax8985@wayne.edu

Treasurer:                     Kim Moon, av7458@wayne.edu

Historian:                     Beth Drittler, av9059@wayne.edu

 

New officers and e-mail addresses for next academic year:

President:                     Tarik Ibrahim, at8126@wayne.edu

Vice President:             Amanda Vandal, at7493@wayne.edu

Secretary:                     Courtney Scanlon, bb0975@wayne.edu

Treasurer:                     Magan Ma, at7922@wayne.edu

Historian:                      Kelly Barta, ar6526@wayne.edu

 

Chapter advisor’s name and e-mail address:

Lynette Moser, Pharm.D., aa4576@wayne.edu

 

Introduction:

The chapter activities in 2007-2008 contributed to the advancement of the profession of pharmacy through promotion of scholarly achievement and pharmacy practice. Members of the Alpha Chi chapter of Rho Chi participated in activities primarily related to assisting underserved patients with access to health care and improving student relationships within the college. 

 

Meetings:

07/11/2007

Agenda items included fundraising opportunities, tutoring services, volunteer opportunities, and the establishment of committees for the annual banquet.

 

09/17/2007

            Agenda items included reports on fundraising, finalizing the banquet committees,

tutoring sign up lists, assisting with the PharmD interviews, and volunteer sign up sheets for an underserved clinic

 

10/29/2007

            Agenda items included fundraising reports and future projects, initiating a

mentorship program, discussion of the interviews and the roles of the student volunteers, discussion of the keynote speaker for the annual banquet, and volunteer sign up sheets for an underserved clinic

 

12/10/2007

            Agenda items included finalizing the mentorship program that will be initiated in

the new year, discussion of the possibility of a bake sale fundraiser, and discussion on the potential delegate for the national meeting.

 

01/18/2008

            Agenda items included a report on the mentorship program that began in January,

finalization of the banquet keynote speaker and delegating specific tasks to each committee, finalization of both the bake sale date and the volunteers for the event, report on the progress of the tutoring initiative, and a vote on our respective delegate for the national meeting.

 

03/10/2008

            Agenda items included discussion of the upcoming national meeting with our

delegate, tutoring report, finalization and confirmation of the date and rooms for the banquet, preparation and mailing of invitations to members, initiates, and faculty, confirmation of banquet menu and prices, and planning of wine and cheese reception, and a discussion of the possibility of having an organ donation awareness day at the college during April.

 

04/4/2008

            The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss the upcoming banquet with all

the volunteers and discuss their role throughout the ceremony.

 

04/21/2008

The main purpose of this meeting was to nominate newly initiated members for Electoral-Board positions and begin their class involvement.

 

Activities:

Cabrini  Clinic

Rho Chi members provided pharmaceutical care to patients at the Cabrini Clinic, an underserved clinic in the city of Detroit that provides medical care and assistance with health care access for the indigent population.  Students provided services, such as chart reviews and patient counseling, for one 3 hour clinic each month.  This community service has been ongoing since 2004

Tutoring

Members of Rho Chi participated in tutoring session for both the first and second year classes. Tutoring sessions included both individual and group sessions in which the primary goal was to prepare the students for upcoming exams and to aid the students in overcoming difficulties with the material presented. Over the course of the year 10 tutoring sessions were held with an average attendance of 15 students. Tutoring has been offered by our chapter since its inception.

            Pharmacy Interviews

Rho Chi members conducted tours, question and answer sessions, and acted as guides for Pharm.D. applicants during their interview process. In addition, members offered to be keep in contact with their interview group by offering the applicants their email addresses. Over the course of the year there were 9 interview dates in which Rho Chi members were actively involved. This is the second year in which both interviews are being conducted and Rho Chi participation has occurred. It was the goal of our chapter to gain experience from last year’s interviews and to implement a more student friendly schedule that would allow greater participation from our chapter. In addition, members aided in the pre-pharmacy interviews in which participants interviewed and evaluated potential students for the admission into the health pro-start, pre-pharmacy, program. This is the first year that our chapter was involved in these interviews and provides an excellent source of volunteering that is beneficial to both the college and the student.

 

            Pharmacy Mentorship Program

 

Rho Chi, in collaboration with both the 1st and 3rd year classes, developed a mentorship program in which 1st year students were paired with 3rd year students with the goal of better preparing the 1st year pharmacy students for the concurrent years, to aid in developing professionalism in both the mentor and the mentee, and instil role model characteristics within the mentor and mentee. An initial ceremony was held in January in which the mentor and mentee formally met and throughout the year students were asked to keep in contact via email, telephone, or face to face meetings. The basis for this program will be presented during the abstract presentations at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting on July 19-23. This is the first year that such a program was initiated and future classes are expected to also have the benefit of this mentorship program.

 

            Organ Donation Awareness

 

In recognition of Organ Donation Awareness month in April, our chapter invited several members from the Gift of Life Foundation to spend time at our school and help promote organ donation within our college. Members from Gift of Life and Rho Chi spoke with students about the benefits of organ donation and passed informational brochures to approximately 150-200 students over the course of 3 hours. This was the first year that Rho Chi participated in this event and our chapter plans to remain actively involved each year in April.

 

            Fundraising

 

Over the course of the year our chapter became very involved in fundraising in order to help reduce the financial requirement for the annual banquet. Our chapter sent volunteers to the college’s annual golf outing in which they were able to sell mulligans to the participants. In addition, our chapter sold a pocket reference to the 2nd year students that will provide them with a useful reference when they begin rotations. Finally, our chapter held a bake sale which proved to be very successful. This was the first year that our chapter became actively involved in fundraising and we expect that in the future it will become a larger portion of our chapter’s activities.

 

            College Representation

 

A representative of Rho Chi was involved in the Dean’s Student Advisory Counsel, an organization which deals with various issues that involve students in all programs at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. In addition, members assisted in the annual alumni dinner held at the college by serving desert, as well as participating in online chats to potential pharmacy students to help answer any questions they may have.

 

Roland T. Lakey Lecture Award

 

In conjunction with faculty members, the chapter selected and awarded the Roland T. Lakey award to Dr. J. Lyle Bootman, Ph.D., dean of the college of pharmacy at the University of Arizona and professor of pharmacy practice, pharmaceutical sciences, medicine and public health.  Each year, our chapter honors an individual who has made a significant impact on the profession of pharmacy through research or other scholarly contributions in pharmacy practice or pharmaceutical sciences. Dr. Bootman’s research in health outcomes and pharmaceconomics, pharmacoepidemiology and drug-related morbidity and mortality has revolutionized the outlook on medication safety. The presentation was attended by approximately 200 faculty and students and was held in the Auditorium of the EA College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. This has been a tradition of our chapter since 1963.

 

Financial/Budgeting:

The main expense for the Rho Chi Chapter this year was the Annual Initiation Banquet ($1945).  The charge for the banquet was $30.00 which covered the majority of the expenses ($1560). In addition, our chapter purchased the Rho Chi honor cords for each member ($225). Throughout the year our chapter was able to raise $960, which was sufficient to pay for the balance of the banquet, the honor cords, and provide the upcoming class with a balance of $350.

 

Initiation Function:

The 2008 initiation ceremony for new members was held in conjunction with the annual Roland T. Lakey Lecture Award.  The initiation dinner banquet was held on Monday, April 14, 2008 from 5:00 – 8:00PM at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Detroit.  

 

Each year, our chapter awards the Roland T. Lakey award to an individual who has made a significant impact on the profession of pharmacy through research or other scholarly contributions in pharmacy practice or pharmaceutical sciences. This year's recipient was Dr. J. Lyle Bootman.  Dr. Bootman received his B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Arizona in 1974, and both his M.S in pharmacy administration (1976) and Ph.D in pharmacy administration (1978) from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Bootman is also a Fellow of several professional associations including the American Pharmacists Association, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the American College of Apothecaries.  He is the founding and executive director of The University of Arizona Center for Health Outcomes and PharmacoEconomic (HOPE) Research, one of the first such centers developed in the world.  He is former president of the American Pharmacists Association and President Emeritus of the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Society. Approximately 200 faculty and students were in attendance at the Auditorium of the EA College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Dr. Bootman has authored over 275 research articles, books and monographs, and has been an invited speaker at more than 500 professional healthcare meetings and symposia. He was selected as one of the 50 most influential pharmacists in the U.S. by American Druggist, and has received numerous outstanding scientific achievement awards, most notably from the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the Academy of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. His research regarding the outcomes of drug-related morbidity and mortality receives worldwide attention by the professional and public media.

   

The initiation banquet was held immediately following the Lakey lecture and was attended by a total of 52 individuals, including Rho Chi initiates and their guests (family members, significant others, and other students). In addition, the following faculty members attended the banquet:

 

Beverly Schmoll, Ph.D., Dean, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Dr. George Corcoran, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dr. David Edwards, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice

Carol Stutrud, Director of Pharmacy Student Recruitment and Community Experiential Training

Dr. Richard Lucarotti, Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Paul Munzenberger, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Professor Geralynn Smith, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Victoria Tutag-Lehr, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Jesse Vivian, Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Candice Garwood, Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Mary Beth, O’Connell, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Lynette Moser, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Maureen Smythe, Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dean Richard Slaughter, Associate Dean of Assessment

 

Evaluation/Reflection:

Overall, 2007-2008 was both successful and productive for the Alpha Chi chapter of Rho Chi. We believe that our chapter has made great strides in becoming actively involved both within the school and community. We believe that by founding the mentorship program our chapter will have a lasting impact within our school for many years to come. One of our primary goals for this past year was to build better relationships within the college so that our chapter can continue to be well represented, as such the members of our chapter worked diligently with the numerous organizations, faculty, and staff within the college. We look forward to continuing to carry out the mission and vision of the society in the coming year.

 

Significant Improvements:

Over the past year our chapter has initiated several novel activities including the peer mentorship program, fundraising, pre-pharmacy interviews, organ donation awareness, and participation in college wide events. In addition, our chapter became much more pro-active in our tutoring approach and due to this offered many more sessions and opportunities for students to obtain additional help. We feel that the programs that were initiated this year helped to improve student relationship and such programs can continue to aid in student development for each succeeding class. As an organization we feel very fortunate to have helped institute such programs that can continue to aid in our Rho Chi mission.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Trevor Wood, President

 

Lynette Moser, Pharm.D

Faculty Advisor

 

Alpha Chi Chapter, Rho Chi Pharmacy Honors Society

Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Wayne State University

259 Mack Ave.

Detroit, MI 48201