Advice, Current Students, Life at UBC Pharm Sci

Best Places to Eat on Campus

Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite to eat in between classes or foraging for study fuel, these food options will be sure to appease that growling stomach.

Within five minutes of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building:

When time is of the essence, Daily Dose (a UBC Food Services café) and Starbucks at UBC Tech are the go-to’s for a quick samosa or scone. Especially with the new mobile order system, it’s possible to run to and from Starbucks in the ten-minute break between lectures.

15-30 minutes to spare?

UBC Village is probably the best option in terms of variety and price. The basement food court serves Japanese, Chinese and Mediterranean food as well as pho and Mongolian barbecue. Upstairs, Running Chicken provides a range of traditional Korean food (i.e. bulgogi, bibimbap) as well as Korean−style fried chicken. It’s a good place to sit down with friends and chat over some Passion Chicken and beer although they also provide takeout. Another find is Only U Café which serves all day breakfast as well as a selection of different hot and cold sandwiches and entrees. My guilty pleasure is visiting in the afternoon to enjoy their bacon and avocado eggs benedict!

The Delly at the AMS Nest: This place has all of your basic breakfast and lunch options with wraps, baked goods and salads to munch on. Best of all, you can order your own customized sandwiches. Healthy food AND an incentive to get outside of the Pharmaceutical Sciences building for some exercise and fresh air.

One hour break?

Head south down to Wesbrook Village for a bowl of savoury Taiwanese beef noodle from Chef Hung’s. With multiple customization options for the noodles, soup and meat or vegetables, there is something available for every stomach. Or, wander over to the Doughgirls Comfort Kitchen and Bakeshop to indulge in a french almond croissant or a shepherd’s pie straight from the oven. Their menu changes seasonally and is always packed with tempting baked goods, homemade jams, and hot comfort foods.

— Lisa Wang


Lisa Wang is a second year student in the Entry-to-Practice PharmD program. Lisa is a member of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. She can also be found designing pages for the faculty yearbook, planning top secret Skits Night scenes, or leading tours for Open House events. Outside of Pharm Sci, Lisa participates in research and plays in a string quartet. 

Lisa is a member of the new Faculty Student Ambassador Program. Questions for Lisa? Leave a comment here or on Facebook.

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Advice, Current Students, Life at UBC Pharm Sci

Mark Your Calendars: What To Do In Your First Few Weeks

There are plenty of UBC Pharm Sci events and clubs to join, especially in the first few weeks of class. It can get a little overwhelming! Not to worry, our Faculty Student Ambassador and second-year student, Alex Assumption, is here to help.

Great Pharmacy Adventure

Great Pharmacy Adventure

GPA (The Great Pharmacy Adventure)
9 a.m., September 4, 2016

GPA Day hosted by the Pharmacy Undergraduate Society (PhUS). Incoming students are grouped together to compete in a scavenger hunt riddled with hilarious games to play and crafty puzzles to solve. It’s an amazing opportunity for first-years to put themselves out there and connect with each other so that the first day of classes doesn’t feel so daunting. Plus, with tons of giveaways and free food, how can you go wrong?

Shoppers Drug Mart Welcome Back BBQ
12 p.m., September 9, 2016

What’s the best way to enjoy the last few days of summer and sunshine? By having a BBQ! The Welcome Back BBQ is held on the first Friday of every academic year to give students the opportunity to relax and catch-up on summer stories after a hectic first week of orientation and course overview. Shoppers Drug Mart staff cook up delicious burgers and share their advice for pharmacy students.

Pharmacy Clubs Night
5:30 p.m., September 13, 2016

If you’re thinking about getting involved with a pharmacy-related club but have no idea where to start, Clubs Night is for you. Pharmacy offers so many unique clubs and programs that you are bound to find one that you are passionate about. From the Pharmacy Evidence Appraisal Club to the Pharmacy Vocal Ensemble, our faculty has it all. Oh, and the night concludes with a pizza dinner hosted by PhUS (see the pattern here?).

Peer Mentorship Kick-Off
5:30 p.m., September 14, 2016

The Peer Mentorship Program was developed with the goal of facilitating first-year students’ transition into the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, as well as providing students with a support network spanning across all pharmacy classes. To do this, two or three first-year students will be paired with a mentor from an upper year. These mentors can answer and burning questions and share their insight and experiences with their “mentees”. When I was a mentee in the program last year, advice from upper years was incredibly helpful for me. The Kick-Off event allows first-years to be introduced to their mentors, interact with other classmates, and to form a foundation for a lasting friendship.

Great Pharmacy Adventure

Great Pharmacy Adventure

PhUS Student-Led Campus Tours
3:30 p.m., September 16, 2016

With the UBC campus spanning almost 1,000 acres, it can be overwhelming trying to see it all! PhUS has put together an entertaining walking tour that highlights the major attractions and student hubs UBC offers, including the Museum of Anthropology, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Wreck Beach, and the AMS Nest. They’ll also show you the cheapest places to get food and groceries on campus!

More events on the PhUS Interclub Calendar. See you in September!


Alex Assumption is a second year student in the Entry-to-Practice PharmD Program. Alex is committed to helping fellow students in their personal and professional improvement and is a member of the Pharmacy Undergraduate Society and the Peer Mentorship Program. When Alex isn’t studying or working with student clubs, he’s usually watching House or Prison Break on Netflix and searching for new music. What makes Alex’s day? The Earth’s rotation around the Sun!

Alex is a member of the new Faculty Student Ambassador Program. Questions for Alex? Leave a comment here or on Facebook.

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Advice, Current Students, Life at UBC Pharm Sci

Guest Post: Advice for First-Year UBC Pharm Sci Students

Welcome to our Back to School Blog Series! This week, two of our second year Entry-to-Practice PharmD students, Alex Assumption and Lisa Wang, are sharing their personal advice and tips for new UBC Pharm Sci students.

New Entry-to-Practice PharmD students on the first day of school in 2015

New Entry-to-Practice PharmD students on the first day of school in 2015

“As the first day of pharmacy school approaches, you might be scrambling to understand why you’re applying for another student loan just to buy textbooks and a stethoscope. Don’t feel like you’re the only one going through this. I remember the night before the first day of classes was filled with anxiety and excitement. I was frantically refreshing UBC Connect and re-reading the syllabus, searching for some small tidbit of information that would give me a revelation of what this program was all about. Although I didn’t find it that night, I hope I can pass down to you, Class of 2020, some knowledge to make this transition smoother.

To start off, don’t feel as if you’re alone in this journey. The Faculty understands that transferring into a program like this is a major leap and have provided tools to for you to adjust to it. For example, the Peer Mentorship Program and Faculty Liaison Program matches first-year students up with professors and upper year students that can answer any questions you might have. There are tons of events that allow students to connect with clubs and each other. Where is all of this info? Facebook. This is the one time in this program someone will tell you that using Facebook frequently is a good thing. The UBC Pharmacy Class of 2020 is group not affiliated with the Faculty, but used by students in your year and other clubs to promote events in the faculty or pose questions which others could answer. Notifications from this group can help you keep you on top of things.

One thing that I personally had to get used was the class dynamic. In September, you’ll be greeted by over 200 new faces, which can be a lot for some. When doing my undergrad, I didn’t make many new friends during lectures and tended to keep to myself, mainly because everybody would quickly scatter as soon as the lecture ended and I probably wouldn’t have the chance to sit beside them again. That’s not the case with this program. In our first year, we as a class spent around 16 hours a week together for lectures alone. Over time, faces become more familiar and you have the opportunity to build long lasting friendships that extend farther than asking, “Hey, how do you do question 4 on the Connect quiz?” Although your class will be large, it’ll also be tight-knit in no time.

First day of school, 2015

First day of school, 2015

Lastly, try to stay physically healthy. This was one of my biggest struggles throughout the year and, although I don’t have all the answers, here are some tips. You can start off by eating healthy. Whenever I thought about “eating healthy”, I imagined cooking every day, something I didn’t have the time to do. So what the best thing to pack for lunch/dinner? SALAD. Think about it – it’s super easy and cheap to transfer a huge handful of leaves from a big container to a smaller container. Also, the Pharmacy Undergraduate Society offers discount for sports teams that want to register for UBC Intramurals and organizes events like Dodgeball night and Sports night.”

— Alex Assumption


“Be professional: You will hear this again and again from the faculty but it doesn’t hurt to start early.

  • This may seem like a no-brainer but don’t be late for lectures or Integrated Activities. Not only is it disrespectful towards the instructors, staff and your peers but there are consequences. Nobody likes extra work on top of their usual homework load.
  • Please respect your classmates by not chatting loudly outside lecture hall doors while other classes are in session. Similarly, prevent stampedes by leaving enough space for classes to exit before rushing in.
Student receiving white coat at 2015 White Coat Ceremony.

Student receiving white coat at 2015 White Coat Ceremony.

Lectures:

  • One of the greatest things about lectures in the Pharmacy building is that they are Lecture Captured (audio and video recorded). However, be smart about using this tool and don’t let it give you that false sense of security that skipping a class is a good idea, even if it is to study for another class. (Some lecture videos may not be uploaded until after an assessment).
  • Another aspect to be aware of is the module format of learning: 1) there is greater emphasis on certain fields of knowledge in shorter periods of time, 2) everything you learn is integrated together. I found this change the most challenging to adapt to. Perhaps you were able to “cram study” for a midterm before. Now, it will be twice as much material in a shorter learning time frame. A difficult feat no matter how much caffeine you intake. In brief, now may be a good time to re-evaluate your study habits and explore new studying methods.
Lecture theatre in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building

Lecture theatre in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building

Here are a few study tips:

  • Quizlet is great for memorizing FDL drugs, RDM functional groups, and antibiotics
  • Use note taking apps such as Evernote where you can organize folders of notes, add Word and PDF documents, images, charts, and even audio
  • If the instructor states that all the testable material is on the PowerPoint slides, why not try closing your laptop and just sit and listen
  • If you must take notes, annotating on the PowerPoint slides whether on paper or digitally will help you better integrate the material in your mind than just typing verbatim what the instructor states. (For anyone who’s interested, the Freakonomics podcast episode “Who Needs Handwriting?” gives a good argument for this)
  • Group study. Once I had an idea of the topic, I found group practice helpful in solidifying my understanding and filling in the gaps. One example was from when we learned how to take verbal prescriptions on the phone: my classmate and I would randomly call each other throughout the week and role play through fake verbal prescriptions.

I hope these topics and tips help you with your exciting journey ahead. I’ll leave you with a couple words of wisdom from our very own David Massaro:

‘If someone tells you you’re not capable of something, nod respectfully, but don’t believe them. Stick with the people that help you grow, and reciprocate.'” 

— Lisa Wang


Alex is a second year student in the Entry-to-Practice PharmD Program. Alex is committed to helping fellow students in their personal and professional improvement and is a member of the Pharmacy Undergraduate Society and the Peer Mentorship Program. When Alex isn’t studying or working with student clubs, he’s usually watching House or Prison Break on Netflix and searching for new music. What makes Alex’s day? The Earth’s rotation around the Sun!

Lisa is a second year student in the Entry-to-Practice PharmD program. Lisa is a member of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. She can also be found designing pages for the faculty yearbook, planning top secret Skits Night scenes, or leading tours for Open House events. Outside of Pharm Sci, Lisa participates in research and plays in a string quartet.

Alex and Lisa are members of the new Faculty Student Ambassador Program. Questions for Alex and Lisa? Leave a comment here or on Facebook.

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Admissions, Advice, Prospective Students

Multiple Mini Interviews: Five Things to Remember

It’s hard to believe that it’s the middle of April and the Multiple-Mini Interviews are less than 3 weeks away! Congratulations to those who are advancing to the next stage of the admission process!

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While it’s difficult to give advice on how to prepare for interviews, we’d like to share some important things to remember when preparing for your interviews:

  1. Prepare yourself as if it is a job interview. We won’t ask you to solve math equations, but we will expect you to respond to questions and scenarios. Make sure you come dressed appropriately, do not wear strong scents or colognes, and be your best self!
  1. Be punctual. It’s very important that you arrive on time (as indicated on your confirmation email) to go through check-in procedures. If you arrive late, you might not be allowed to interview. For those coming for an interview on May 1st, please review the BMO Marathon Road Closure information provided to you in your emails, and leave plenty of time for travel.
  1. You’ll be meeting with multiple interviewers, so if you stumbled on one response, you’ll have the opportunity to recover with the next interviewer.
  1. There will be two break stations. The interviews can be intense for some, so take this time to relax and recharge.
  1. Bring a bottle of water. This will be the only item you can bring with you into the interview, and trust me, you’ll want it. All other personal belongings will be held in the check-out room for you to pick up when you leave.

We are looking forward to meeting everyone who is coming in for an interview. If you can no longer attend the interview, please email me at undergrad.pharm@ubc.ca to let me know as soon as possible.

See you in a few weeks!

Carol Kuang, Recruitment and Admissions Officer


Questions? Leave a comment, or contact Carol directly.

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Current Students, General Interest, Interviews, Life at UBC Pharm Sci, Prospective Students

UBC Pharm Sci Student Talks: Episode 4, feat. Alex Assumption

We’re bringing back our Student Talks video series!

Last month we sat down for a chat with first-year Entry-to-Practice PharmD student, Alex Assumption, to learn more about his experiences with the program to date.

Previous Episodes:

Episode 1, feat. Aaron Sihota
Episode 2, feat. Renee Dagenais
Episode 3, feat. Joshua Quisias


Interested in joining us here at UBC Pharm Sci? Learn more about our programs.

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Admissions, Prospective Students

An Update on the Admissions Process

As you know, applications for Winter 2016 are now closed and you’re probably wondering when you’ll hear from us.

Students in UBC Pharm Sci atrium

By now, you should have already submitted your required transcripts and the Undergraduate Admissions Office is working diligently to match your documents with your application. Please be patient with us as we are entering final stretch of our application reviews. Keep in mind, you can check your application status by logging onto the Student Service Centre.

Our interviews will take place on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 this year. Due to the format of the Multi Mini Interviews, we will not be able to accommodate alternate interview dates, so please save the date.

Shortlisted candidates who are selected for interviews will be contacted in early April via email. It is important to ensure that the email address you provided is correct, and do not forget to check your junk folders.

That’s all for now. I will be back in April with more updates for you!

— Carol Kuang, Recruitment and Admissions Officer


Questions? Leave a comment, or contact Carol directly.

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Admissions, Prospective Students

Don’t Forget to Apply for Winter 2016!

Students in Lecture Theatre

Happy New Year to everyone! It’s that time of year where most of you are finalizing your applications and experiencing the thrill – or nerves – of pressing that “submit” button. Before you close your browser, it’s important to double-check that you have done all that you needed to by the application deadline. Here are a few important tips and reminders:

1. Remember that the application deadline is January 31st at 11:59pm PST.

2. Ensure that your application was submitted successfully and that your application fee was paid. Without a fee payment, your application is not complete.

3. Submit your official transcripts. Official transcripts are to be sent directly to the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The mailing address is as follows:

The University of British Columbia
Undergraduate Admissions
2016 – 1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1

Important information about the online application, deadlines, how to submit transcripts, and much more can be found here: http://you.ubc.ca/admissions/how-to-apply/

4. Check your email inbox and junk mail folders. Information regarding your application will be communicated through email so it is important that you provide the correct email address and that you check your junk folders as well!

From February through March, we will be busy reviewing applications so your patience is appreciated during this time. We will be inviting selected applicants for interviews in early April. This year, the interviews will take place on April 30th and May 1st. Check our blog in the coming weeks for more information about the MMIs!

For those who are still contemplating Pharmacy as a career choice, or want to meet us in person before the application deadline, we will be hosting our last Information Evening on January 21, 2016 from 6-8 p.m. PST! This session will be streamed online as a live webcast for those who live outside of the Lower Mainland. Click here to RSVP.

Lastly, do not hesitate to call (604) 822-0344 or email undergrad.pharm@ubc.ca with your admissions questions. We wish you all the best with your application!

Carol Kuang
Recruitment and Admissions Officer
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of British Columbia

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Life at UBC Pharm Sci, Prospective Students

People & Places, Episode 4: Tamiz Kanji shows us around the Pharmacy Practice Centre and related teaching spaces

People & Places is an ongoing video series designed to give our prospective students (especially those of you who may not have the opportunity to visit in person) a behind-the-scenes look at some of the different spaces in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building. In this episode, Tamiz Kanji, showcases the Pharmacy Practice Centre and related teaching spaces.


Watch the previous episodes of People & Places with Dr. Tara KlassenBarbara Gobis and Mitch Prasad.

Interested in joining us here at UBC Pharm Sci? Learn more about our programs, or register for an upcoming Program Information Night.

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Advice, Current Students, Life at UBC Pharm Sci

Message from the Associate Dean, Academic: Having a Voice Makes a Difference

Dr. Sandra Jarvis-Selinger

Dr. Sandra Jarvis-Selinger

In a blog post just before the holiday season, and after the craziness of the exam period, I want to take the opportunity to wish you all the best for the holiday season and hope you have a relaxing break before 2016 is upon us.

For this blog post I wanted to focus on giving feedback to the Academic Portfolio and getting feedback from the portfolio. You’ve already been asked to give your opinions about your instructors and courses and we thank you for your participation. I want to stress how important this is for the all our academic offerings including the BSc (Pharm), E2P PharmD and Grad PharmD programs.

These surveys are important for us to gather information about how students experience each program and they provide a unique perspective for our planning and ongoing quality continuous improvement. As I’ve said many times, students are the only group that experiences every aspect of an educational program. Faculty and staff see only parts of the whole – a lecture, session, course or year – but not in the way that you experience it.

And we need a variety of voices. Getting enough students to complete the survey is also important to understand how to target what changes we need to make and what we should keep the same. Everyone will potentially have a different way of looking at things and we value understanding all of those perspectives.

Over this last term we launched five different survey types which included: Student Evaluation of Teaching (SEoT) and Course Evaluation (CE) surveys for both the BSc(Pharm) and PharmD programs; and the PharmD Orientation, Study Habits and Module Evaluation surveys for the PharmD program.

For the BSc(Pharm) program we launched 24 surveys last term (16 SEoTs and 8 CEs). For core courses we had a 19% response rate; up from 9% last year. This is definitely an improvement but we want to see this closer to the UBC average (~25-30%). Response rates for our elective courses in the BSc program was 73%; similar to previous years. Great job! For the PharmD we administered four SEoT surveys in PHRM 100 with response rates at 48%. In addition to the teaching evaluations we launched four module evaluations (ME) surveys to get feedback on all the modules in PHRM 100. Response rates on closed ME surveys was 72% and overall 43% for both open and closed surveys to date. Again great job!

But you might ask … how does this make a difference to me and how will I know? The Academic Portfolio, which includes myself, Program Directors, Course and Year Coordinators, program staff, etc., has made a commitment to “close the loop”. Once we have your input, we are committed to providing you an overview of the student feedback we’ve received and how we are taking action where we need to. Through the student pipeline and our Connect sites, we will be communicating back to you in the new year. This feedback is meant to help you understand how your feedback is being used and this will also help us be accountable to our promise of continuous quality improvement, which has always been a foundational goal of our Academic Portfolio. As I wrote at the beginning of this blog … having a voice does (and will) make a difference!

Again I want to wish you and your family a fantastic holiday season and look forward to rejoining everyone in 2016 for more academic adventures.

Dr. Sandra Jarvis-Selinger
Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Academic

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Advice, Current Students, Interviews, Prospective Students

Pathways in Pharmacy #2: Curt Fowkes, BSc(Pharm)’08

Pathways in Pharmacy is an ongoing series where we’ll learn about different career journeys that began with a pharmacy degree. This month, Curt Fowkes tells us about his journey from the University of Alberta, to UBC, through to a hospital residency and ICU work with Northern Health, before finding his path back into community pharmacy.

Curt Fowkes

JK: Why did you choose pharmacy as a profession?

CF: Well, we’re thinking back a while ago! I grew up in Quesnel, just south of Prince George. I knew a pharmacist when I was in high school there and spent some time job shadowing with him. He was very passionate about what he did and his mentorship is what initially got me interested. He worked with another pharmacist who had completed a hospital pharmacy residency. He also had experiences to share that showed me there was a lot more to offer from the degree than I had realized.

Quesnel is a pretty small community where everybody knows everybody, and I saw the impact that these pharmacists were having on the lives of people that I knew. I also felt that becoming a pharmacist would provide job security for my own future.

Curt Fowkes 3

JK: And how did you come to UBC Pharm Sci then?

CF: After high school I went to the University of Alberta, intent on attending their school of pharmacy. But after a couple of years away from home, I wanted to move back to BC. My sister was already in the pharmacy program at UBC, my brother had just finished school at UBC and was still living in Vancouver, and we had spent a lot of time at UBC growing up as my parents were both UBC graduates.

JK: What was the best thing about UBC for you? 

CF: Well as my parents had been to UBC, we had made lots of trips there while I was growing up, so I was familiar with the campus. My parents were down in Vancouver a lot visiting, so I had lots of family around. It didn’t hurt that Whistler is nearby with great skiing!

JK: Did you move to Prince George right after graduation?

CF: Yup. I had applied for the hospital pharmacy residency program about halfway through my fourth year. Before the residency results came back I started thinking that perhaps the hospital pharmacy wasn’t for me – but after interviewing with each of the health authorities for a spot in their residency program I decided that it was probably a case of now or never for the extra experience. My sister was accepted into the UBC PharmD program and I thought that down the road that might be something I was interested in as well.

I decided to go with the residency program through Northern Health mainly because it was based out of Prince George and had close proximity to my hometown… and many ski hills! I grew up in this area so it was an easy transition back.

Curt Fowkes 2

JK: So what happened after your residency?

CF: Afterwards, I continued to work for Northern Health. At the time, they presented me with an excellent opportunity to work as a full time clinical pharmacist in their ICU. I stayed in that role for a few years, but the job gradually expanded into other areas and I began to miss a lot of the interaction I’d previously had with patients in the community.

Throughout my residency, and after, I had worked for a couple of pharmacists who owned two independent pharmacies in town. Their pharmacies had a huge range of variations to the services they provided, and had been locally owned in the community for forty years. I had always appreciated their practice, and how close they were with all of their patients. This is largely what led me to leave the hospital and work with them full time.

I worked hard for them for three or four years, allowing myself to be mentored in the business aspects of pharmacy, and the value of patient-pharmacist interactions. I did my best to build a clinical practice for myself in their stores, and gradually my role grew.

This summer a great opportunity came up where another local independent pharmacy owner was retiring, and I partnered with these new mentors of mine to purchase his pharmacy as an equal shareholder.

JK: That’s great! It sounds like a big part of the appeal of being a pharmacist is being a part of the community and getting to know people. Do you feel that’s how things have turned out for you?

CF: Yes, I think a huge part of our job as pharmacists is getting to know people. There is so much focus in school on theory and how to treat conditions, and manage them best for people, but you can’t do that as effectively without having a good relationship with the patient. It’s essential for people to receive good care, and have somebody that they can go to and talk to. I’m so glad I did the hospital residency because I definitely find that I am still incorporating clinical functions that I learned in my residency into my everyday practice. I also got to know a lot of physicians in town here and have built good relationships with them. This really helps me to advocate on behalf of my patients and make a difference for them.

JK: If you could go back to your pharmacy school self, what advice would you give to him?

CF: Keep your eyes open! You never know what kind of opportunities are going to come along your way, how life is going to change, or what you might come across. I think it’s good to gain any experience that you can. Keep your eyes open, look for opportunities to expand your knowledge, and think outside the box.


Any questions for Curt? Leave them in the comments or on Facebook.

Read Pathways in Pharmacy #1 with Mark Kunzli.

Learn more about our programs here.

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