SOP Introduces High School Students to Pharmacy Profession and Careers

Visit to the School of Pharmacy concludes fun-filled, educational tour of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus for 27 students from Western Maryland AHEC ECHO Program.

By Malissa Carroll
June 28, 2013

On June 19, 27 students from the Western Maryland Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Exploring Careers in Health Occupations (ECHO) Program ended a day-long tour of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus with a visit to the School of Pharmacy. JuliAna Brammer, MBA, associate director of admissions at the School of Pharmacy, introduced students to the pharmacy profession and gave them a tour of the School’s state-of-the-art facilities.

“It is always a pleasure to have opportunities like this to introduce high school students to the pharmacy profession and the wide range of career opportunities that it can offer them,” says Brammer. “Many times, students only have an opportunity to interact with a pharmacist in a community setting, such as at Walgreens or CVS. I like to take advantage of these events to expand students’ knowledge and show them that pharmacists can work in a variety of settings.”

In a short presentation to students, Brammer discussed the pharmacy profession and offered advice to students about how to determine if a career in pharmacy is right for them. She also spoke about the School’s history and reviewed the qualifications that students must meet to be accepted into its Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. “Pharmacy ranks among the most respected profession in the country, and graduates of our PharmD program have pursued successful careers in academia, industry, and government,” she said.

Adenike Atanda, a fourth-year student pharmacist, also spoke to students about the wide range of careers available to pharmacists and the importance of networking and getting involved in student organizations.

“The beauty of pharmacy is that the profession is very diverse. For almost every aspect of health care that you can imagine, there are pharmacists working with other health care providers to ensure that the medications patients use are safe, effective, and efficient,” said Atanda. “However, the profession is also very close-knit, which is why it is important to join student organizations and take advantage of opportunities to meet and network with the people who could be responsible for hiring you in the future.”

Following the presentation, students were given a tour of Pharmacy Hall. They had an opportunity to view the School’s Alfred Abramson Pharmacy Practice Lab (Fred Lab), lecture halls, and multimedia room, but the highlight was a visit to the School’s pharmacy museum. Located on the first floor of Pharmacy Hall, this museum contains a variety of artifacts that illustrate the advancement of the pharmacy profession over the years. “This is one of the coolest places we’ve visited all day,” remarked one student.

The Western Maryland AHEC ECHO Program, designed to provide high school students with unique educational experiences that foster their interest in health care careers, visited the University of Maryland, Baltimore as part of its ECHO 101 activity. In addition to visiting the School of Pharmacy, students also toured the other professional schools on campus as well as the University of Maryland Medical Center, where they had an opportunity to practice CPR and use the surgical simulators.

“Everyone who participated and put their time into the Western Maryland AHEC ECHO Program student visit should be commended,” said Carol Shelton, administrative assistant at the School of Medicine and coordinator of the students’ visit to the campus. “The enthusiasm and helpfulness of all of the faculty and staff we met with made for a truly memorable visit.”

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