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PharmAcademy is an event held by the College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove (CPDG) at ������Ƶ to inform high school students about various aspects of a pharmacy career, as they contemplate their future college options. The event was attended by 39 students from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, and held under the direction of Sheila Wang, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCIDP, Professor, Pharmacy Practice at the College of Pharmacy.

Andrew Johnson, a senior at Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School said, “The program really shows you how many options you have with pharmacy.” He added his horizons were broadened regarding pharmacy topics. Nikita Khurana a senior at Metea Valley High School, said, “pharmacy wasn’t on my radar, but now it is. There are so many things you can do with a Pharm.D. degree. I’ll appreciate pharmacists a lot more after this.”

Mohga Massoud, a senior at Hinsdale Central High School, said her favorite session was Mock Code Blue. In this session, the simulation male mannequin underwent cardiac arrest, and the students ran through the process of how a patient would be saved including chest thumps and administering mock epinephrine. “It tests the skills I’ve had to learn,” she said, adding that she is CPR certified. Mohga is considering three different tracks in her future: Clinical Pharmacy, Ambulatory Care, and Emergency Medicine.  

In addition, Adams Solola, Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacist at U.S Public Health Service (USPHS) spoke to students about pharmacists in government. Dr. Solola described the U.S. Public Health Service as “the nation’s army against disease,” and said they work in 20 federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes for Health (NIH). Dr. Solola added students can change the areas of pharmacy they work in over the years. “You are not stuck in whatever you start out in. There is room for growth, room to try.”

In the lab, students simulated creating a mock arthritis cream. The importance of compounding was emphasized, where a pharmacist creates a medication specialized for a human or animal patient. An overview of the responsibilities of an ambulatory care pharmacist, including the evaluation of mediation regimens, was outlined to students. Students also learned about diabetes devices, such as blood glucose meters and participated in a lab where they gave a mock vaccination. In another activity, the importance of using accurately measured dosing spoons and the best place to administer the medication for children, which is in the cheek pocket, was described. The students also learned that internal medicine pharmacy is another career option. This specialization has several responsibilities, such as assisting with medical emergencies and advising the patients on new medication. The students also experienced an outdoor session on naturopathic medicine and traditional healing.

Students discovered more about research in pharmacy from Marc Scheetz, Pharm.D., Associate Dean of Research and Professor, College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, and Director of the Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence at ������Ƶ. The faculty at ������Ƶ have extensive field experience they can bring to the classroom, including Dr. Scheetz, who previously served on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committees. Future career options for the pharmacist scientist in research include academia, government, and industry. Currently, pharmacy faculty on the Downers Grove Campus at ������Ƶ are involved with nine studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and/or the FDA.

PharmAcademy is an important outreach event for the community to introduce high school students to the career option of pharmacy, and it is one of several community events held by ������Ƶ.  As part of its commitment to healthcare education, ������Ƶ offers the Doctor of Pharmacy program in Downers Grove and Glendale, where students can pursue a variety of pharmaceutical career paths. Pharmacy residency and fellowship programs are also offered in Downers Grove and Glendale.