The Class of 2014

May signals an exciting time for the pharmacy program here at PCOM. This month, our inaugural pharmacy class finishes the didactic portion of their curriculum and will head off to start their rotations. I am so excited for them and so very proud. To celebrate their big accomplishment I wanted to share a few memories I have had with them over the last few years.

I still remember the very first time I stepped into PCOM. It was early fall and I was deep in the middle of my undergrad career. I had RSVP'd to an open house event and when I left my house that evening to go to the school I really had no idea what to expect. That night, as I toured the campus and listened to presentations from faculty, I began to feel like I had already made my pharmacy school choice. And though I learned a lot about how great the school was that night, the thing that really sold me was my interactions with the student ambassadors. All the students I met that night were part of the inaugural class and I have to say, it was really because of them that I chose to make this school my home. Their excitement and deep sense of community permeated the campus and I knew this was where I wanted to start my pharmacy career. 

When I was in my first year of pharmacy school I knew I wanted to get involved with improving and building up our program but not having any real leadership background I didn't know quite where to start. The class of 2014 showed my the way starting with their encouragement to become a student ambassador. That was the path that eventually lead to be able to start this blog. I can also remember that year when a member of their class came to our classroom to talk about his role on the faculty's Curriculum Committee. Up until that point, I didn't know that such a position was even available. With some his guidance I was able to step up into the position and it's enabled me to really make an impact in our program.

When I started in the lab last summer I was totally lost. I had never done research before and I needed a lot of help to learn all the proper techniques and procedures. Dr. Wang's other research assistant Mei stepped up and spent all summer training me to carry on with research after she left the lab to start her third year. It was because of her hard work, along with Dr. Wang's, that I feel so confident in my abilities now. 

In addition to big impacts the class has had on me, I still think a lot about the little things. The laughs, the advice and the encouragement they shared with me went a long way toward making my time at PCOM really special. I am going to miss my friends as they move forward in their rotations but I could not be any happier for them. 

Thank you all for all you've done for your school and for your fellow students.

And congratulations!!!!

Katie