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White Coat Ceremony 2014

Last Thursday evening UBC Pharm Sci together with the BC Pharmacy Association (BCPhA) hosted the 2014 White Coat Ceremony. In this annual event the Faculty officially welcomes new BSc(Pharm) students, and celebrates the commencement of their journey. Incoming students recite and sign the Pledge of Professionalism (below) and are presented with a white coat.

“The White Coat Ceremony was one of the first instances where our entire class was together,” says Anna Chen, a first year BSc(Pharm) student.  “I am very excited to spend the next four years getting to know each and every one of my classmates! Congratulations to everyone on getting into the Faculty!”

The White Coat Ceremony is an important part of the students’ journey into the profession as it instills a sense of pride and belonging, while highlighting early on the ethical and professional responsibilities of the profession.

The evening included speeches from Dr. Michael Coughtrie, professor and dean, UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, David Pavan, President of the BC Pharmacy Association, Marion Pearson, Director of the Entry-to-Practice Program, Rachel Edey, 4th year BSc(Pharm) student and Barbara Gobis, Director of the Pharmacists Clinic.

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UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Pledge of Professionalism

For students in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at The University of British Columbia, there is a need to build and reinforce a professional identity founded on integrity, ethical behaviour, and honour. This development, a vital process in pharmacy education, will help ensure that you are true to the professional relationship you establish between yourself and society as you become a member of the pharmacy community. Integrity will be an essential part of your ever y day life and it is incumbent upon you to pursue all academic and professional endeavors with honesty and commitment to service.

To accomplish this goal of professional development, I as a student in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at The University of British Columbia will:

ACCEPT the responsibility for my actions as a student and as a healthcare professional that will reflect on both myself and my school.

CONSIDER the needs of others before myself.

DEVELOP a sense of loyalty and duty to the profession of pharmacy by contributing to the well-being of others and by accepting accountability for membership in the profession.

FOSTER professional competency through life-long learning and striving for high ideals, teamwork, and unity within the profession.

COMMIT to the Oath of a Pharmacist and the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists as set forth by the profession.

DEDICATE my life and practice to excellence by an ongoing reassessment of personal and professional values.

MAINTAIN the highest ideals and professional attributes to ensure optimal patient care.

*Adapted from the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Pledge of Professionalism

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4 Self-Care Strategies to Help You Thrive

Relaxing

Relax – Copyright: davejdoe used under CC 2.0

Do you feel that midterms, projects and extracurricular activities have put you in a squeeze? Stress can cause you to lose motivation, hope and eventually end up in burnout. By taking time in your day to practice self-care you can help manage that stress and thrive throughout the year. Read on for some self-care tips:

1. Appreciate your senses.

– If you have been feeling stressed about a future deadline, noticing the sensations around you can help you focus on the present moment, allowing you to temporarily forget about your worries. Breathe in fresh air, take a hot shower, go for a walk, watch the clouds go by, listen to music and notice all the senses around you!

2. Do a pleasurable activity.

– Allowing yourself time in the day to do what makes you happy will help you keep your focus and motivations for your studies. It doesn’t have to be a large amount of time – small activities such as walking a dog, gardening, watching a movie, journaling, or exploring campus can also work well.

3. Break the routine.

– Getting into a routine can make you feel stuck in place, which increases your stress. By disrupting your daily routine you can feel refreshed and regain motivation. This can be accomplished by busing to a new place, trying a new activity, joining a Meetup group, studying in a new location or even simply striking up conversation with someone you haven’t spoken with before.

4. Get in touch with your inner-self

– With midterms and project deadlines on the horizon, it is easy to focus on studying and forget about yourself. Take some time to reflect on what makes you happy. This could come by way of reading novels or poetry, meditating, spending time in nature, praying, attending church, or anything else that helps you feel connected to yourself emotionally and spiritually.

Taking a small amount of time in your day to practice self-care can have large pay backs in terms of motivation and ability to focus throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more about self-care and positive mental health, be sure to check out Thrive at UBC.

– Ivan Yastrebov, Communications & Marketing

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A Handy Guide to UBC Cafés

Now that school in full swing and midterms are just around the corner you may be contemplating an increase in your caffeine intake! Even if you aren’t a coffee or tea drinker, cafés are a great place to study – providing a change of scenery with snack and beverage options close at hand. With this in mind, we have compiled a handy map of coffee shops at UBC:

Of course, we must mention The Daily Dose – UBC Pharm Sci’s own café serving coffee, snacks and light food items all day. It’s a great place to recharge between classes.

Also, many people find that the ambient noise in cafes helps them to focus on their work. We’re fans of the app Coffitivity which allows you to recreate the sounds of a café in your living room. Coffee not included!

What’s your favourite coffee shop on campus? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.

– Ivan Yastrebov, Communications and Marketing

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Student Talks Video Series – Highlighting the Pharm Sci Student Experience

Are you contemplating Pharmacy as a career choice and wondering what life as a Pharm Sci student is like? Are you a first year student who is curious about how to make the most of your four years here? Or maybe you would just like to be inspired by and learn more about your classmates. Either way, we are here to help!

The Student Talks video series was launched earlier this year with the intent to highlight Pharmacy student leaders. Each episode profiles a different undergraduate student – showcasing their day-to-day routines and delving into why they chose to study here at UBC Pharm Sci.

The first episode of Student Talks followed then fourth-year student and BCPhA Student Ambassador Aaron Sihota, who commenced as a student senator for PhUS and later became President of the society.  Watch below to learn more about Aaron’s experiences and why he chose pharmacy as a profession:

The next episode introduced then third-year student, Rho Chi Honour Society President and BCPhA Student Ambassador Renée Dagenais. Renée has also been involved as a student member of the CSHP through which she participated in the student mentorship program. Learn more about Renée below:

As you can see, there is a tremendous range of opportunities available to become more deeply involved in the UBC Pharm Sci student community. To learn more, check out our previous blog post on this topic.

Do you know a Pharm Sci student who might like to be featured in a future episode of Student Talks? Perhaps you are that person yourself? If so, send us an email at pharmsci.cmassist2@ubc.ca.

Keep an eye out for the next episode of Student Talks – coming soon to YouTube!

-Ivan Yastrebov, Communications & Marketing

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Second Student Talks video out now!

We’re proud to share with you the next installment of the UBC Pharm Sci Student Talks series.

This ongoing video series will showcase the UBC Pharm Sci undergraduate student experience and help start a conversation around pharmacy practice and the unexpected but rewarding moments that await students at our Faculty.

This episode features third-year BSc Pharm student Renée Dagenais. Renée is the President of the Rho Chi Honour Society and also serves as a BCPhA Student Ambassador.

What excites you the most about pharmacy practice? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!

-Raul Scorza, Communications & Marketing

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Run the distance – Preparing to ace your exams like a marathon runner

The start of exam season has prompted the Communications & Marketing team to find ways to help you achieve success on your exams. We thought an interesting parallel emerged when comparing study tips to the training marathon runners engage in before the big race, and hope that this comparison will aid your exam performance.

Running 26.2 miles sounds daunting, but is it as daunting as preparing for that exam that is worth 60 percent of your final grade? If you assume that running a marathon is on equal footing on the “Jitter-O-Meter” as taking a final, then it would be safe to assume that you can prepare for an exam in a similar way to preparing for a marathon. Here are some training parallels that can boost your performance when preparing for final exams:

Run (study) enough, but not to the point of exhaustion

A crucial mantra that is surprisingly dismissed by both marathon runners and students is “Stay healthy”. It is counterproductive to train or study so hard that your health is compromised – taking an exam while sick or tired is comparable to running a marathon while injured. Remember: Best to be feeling rested and eager, even if slightly underprepared, than losing all motivation due to running or studying too much.

Create a training (study) schedule, and try to follow it closely

Marathon runners usually build a training schedule that covers as many different aspects of the race as possible. This includes varying miles per week, working on running speed and including at least one long run per week – with recovery days present. Similarly, you can plan a study schedule that covers the different topics that will appear on the final exam, varying the days you will study each section. Include ‘rest days’ in this schedule as to not get overwhelmed. Remind yourself that a schedule is supposed to help and not be a source of stress if you find that you miss a planned day of studying.

Running (studying) smart is key

Newcomers to marathons might think that training hard seven days a week is a prerequisite for success at the finish line. Experienced runners would advise differently, underlining the concept of ‘smart running’: Four-time-a-week runners ran just as well as runners that trained six days a week and covered 20 percent more miles in a study at the University of Northern Iowa. Approach studying similarly by devoting most of your time and efforts on topics that you know will appear on the exam or feel less confident about. If you try to cover every detail of the material, you might find your time not being adequately employed.

There is no preparation without mental preparation

The body can only help you so much when you face the nervousness of running your first race, hitting the dreaded ‘wall’ (when your pace or performance drops near the last miles of the marathon) or asking yourself just what are you doing running 26.2 miles in the middle of the race. These mental roadblocks can also surface when you are writing your exam. Overcome them like a runner would. Recall what it is that you like most about the task at hand, visualize yourself feeling proud when you turn the exam in – there are many possibilities to help keep your mind on track, just don’t forget to keep on writing the exam!

We hope these training parallels will help you deliver your best in your exams, and the C&M team wishes you the best during exam season! How do you prepare for your exams? Share your advice with the Pharm Sci community in the comments section.

-Raul Scorza, Communications & Marketing

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Making the Most of your UBC Pharm Sci Experience: Campus Student Involvement 101

Last week Raul outlined a few different volunteering opportunities around campus. If that piqued your interest and you want to find out what other opportunities exist, read on!

1. UBC Residence Life – Are you interested in a wide range of activities and want to help fellow students? Being a residence advisor is a multi-faceted position with a broad scope of requirements, including planning programs, providing peer support and more. While applications have now closed for these positions, there are other ways you can get involved in the residence community. Through the residence councils, you could get elected into a representative position that involves planning events, large and small.

2. UBC Recreation – Are you more of a sporty type? UBC Recreation organizes all UBC intramural leagues, special sporting events (e.g. Day of the Longboat) and manages the student gym (the Bird Coop). UBC Rec offers a variety of positions such as event staff, referees, marketing, logistics and others. This will allow you to combine your interest in sports with your other skills and helping you gain a sense of satisfaction from helping provide recreation opportunities to other students. They also host Storm the Wall, which is hailed as an unofficial UBC graduation requirement.

3. UBC Student Leadership Conference – Would you enjoy planning a large conference? If so, the UBC Student Leadership Conference (SLC) might be the place for you. This is one of the largest student-run conferences in North America and offers the opportunity to see keynote speakers such as Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli and Sarah Kay among others. There are a range of opportunities to help out including finance, logistics, marketing and more. Applications are currently open.

4. AMS – Maybe student government is more your forte? The AMS is the student governing body in charge of a large number of student services and businesses, offering everything from affordable food to the U-Pass. The nominations for the executive positions are now over, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways for you to get involved. There are numerous volunteer or paid positions still available in the different arms of the AMS.

As you can see there are a variety of opportunities available across campus and you’re sure to find one to fit your schedule and interests! Take the time while you are studying to give back to the community and get involved and you might be rewarded in ways you never expected.

– Ivan Yastrebov, Communications & Marketing Assistant

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Five Interesting Pharmacy Career Paths

Are you contemplating a career in Pharmacy, but think that a degree in Pharmacy only has one path after graduation? Did it peak your interest when Julia talked about Pharmacy as a varied career with many different pathways? Do you have another passion that you want to integrate into your career? If so, read further and you may be surprised as to what Pharmacy could have in store for you! Here are a few different jobs you may be able to take on with a degree in Pharmacy.

1. Community Pharmacists – While this may seem like the job you are destined for with a pharmacy degree, there is more to it than meets the eye. The role of the community pharmacist is to help people manage their medication and diseases to enhance their quality of life. Through an increased scope of practice, pharmacists are now able to offer medication therapy management and other services to help support their patients in leading happy and healthy lives.

2. NASA Pharmacist – Do you have an interest in space? If the answer is yes, you could be like Tina Bayuse, who after an experiential rotation in a pharmacology lab at NASA became the organization’s first ever clinical pharmacist. From there she continued expanding the program providing medication to astronauts and their families, while helping prepare medical kits for space missions.

3. Researcher – With a passion for science and an excitement for problem solving, a researcher might be the role for you. As a researcher you will be on the front lines of pharmaceutical sciences. You will use your knowledge to look into the unknown of pharmaceuticals. This could include medication interaction, health economics, population health, toxicology and much more. Becoming a researcher requires a lot of training and discipline, but the end result is very rewarding because your discovery has the potential to positively affecting people’s lives.

4. Veterinary Pharmacist – If you have a passion for animals, with a couple of extra certifications, you’ll be able to serve as a veterinary pharmacist. In this role, you’ll be helping veterinarians figure out the right medication, dosage and delivery method for a variety of animals suffering from a range of health conditions. Since most veterinary programs offer two courses on pharmacology, the knowledge that pharmacists contribute is highly valued.

5. Medical Writer – Are you interested in the science of pharmacology and the art of writing? Becoming a medical writer might allow you to pursue both of those passions without much compromise. The career is quite varied and could include journalistic, technical or even creative writing depending on which position you are in. By applying your writing abilities to your medical knowledge you will help communicate scientific ideas in a variety of forms.

As you can see, a degree in Pharmacy does not only lead to one career path. Instead there are many different paths you are able to pursue, allowing you to combine your other passions into a job that is interests you!

– Ivan Yastrebov, Communications and Marketing, UBC PharmSci

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