Friends:
Several weeks ago we informed the student body of our new school vision statement and requested feedback on our new vision and way of thinking.
I received the comments below from a current first year student, David South, who I believe hit the nail on the head.
"Dr. Sands,
I really like the vision statement “Preparing Pharmacists Who Transform Lives”. To me, there are two meanings in this statement. Obviously, as health care professionals, everything we do should be aimed at improving the quality of life for our patients. Through the pharmacist-patient interaction, we are able to build lasting relationships with others that can have a direct impact on the patient’s life.
However, there is also a deeper spiritual meaning to that statement. As Christians, everything we do should be aimed at adding to God’s kingdom. When I looked up Ephesians 2:10 in my Bible, it cross-referenced Ephesians 4:12, which states “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be build up.” How great is it that we are able to help transform a patient’s life in the physical health senses but also lead people, be it through example, attitude, or direct evangelism, to the person with the greatest ability to transform lives of all, Jesus Christ.
I will make this vision statement, encompassing both meanings, my attitude and goal for the rest of my time at MSOP and continue it as I advance in my career as a pharmacist."
Let us know if you agree with David!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
MSOP Reacts and Responds to Storm Damage
Friends:
We at McWhorter School of Pharmacy face difficult days ahead. Thankfully our campus, students, faculty and staff are safe and escaped without serious bodily harm. But, for so many in our community there is a healing process that has just begun.
We are overwhelmed by the thoughtful notes of support and encouragement from our alumni all across the country coupled with the outpouring of support from other colleges of pharmacy. It is times like these, when people come to each other’s assistance for the sake of good alone, that gives believers a taste of “heaven on earth”. It is these same foundational principles of selfless service to others that guide our University and our profession of pharmacy. It is our hope that we never lose sight of these guiding principles as individuals and professionals.
If you desire to assist our neighbors in need who were affected by the tornadoes we encourage you to visit www.samford.edu to support efforts through “Samford Gives Back”. In addition to acts of service, we also ask you to be “first responders” in prayer to lift our hurting community up in spirit.
Let us hear from you if you have been directly impacted by the storms and how we can help as a community.
We at McWhorter School of Pharmacy face difficult days ahead. Thankfully our campus, students, faculty and staff are safe and escaped without serious bodily harm. But, for so many in our community there is a healing process that has just begun.
We are overwhelmed by the thoughtful notes of support and encouragement from our alumni all across the country coupled with the outpouring of support from other colleges of pharmacy. It is times like these, when people come to each other’s assistance for the sake of good alone, that gives believers a taste of “heaven on earth”. It is these same foundational principles of selfless service to others that guide our University and our profession of pharmacy. It is our hope that we never lose sight of these guiding principles as individuals and professionals.
If you desire to assist our neighbors in need who were affected by the tornadoes we encourage you to visit www.samford.edu to support efforts through “Samford Gives Back”. In addition to acts of service, we also ask you to be “first responders” in prayer to lift our hurting community up in spirit.
Let us hear from you if you have been directly impacted by the storms and how we can help as a community.
Monday, April 25, 2011
MSOP Transforming Lives Through International Exchange
Friends:
Happy Easter! May the joy of the Risen Lord be with you and your families!
The inspiration for today's message comes from Dr. P.J. Hughes who is an assistant professor in the Samford University Global Drug Information Center (DIC). At the Asian Conference on Clinical Pharmacy over the past several years, as an effort to continue to live and breathe the mission and vision of MSOP, we have had several productive conversations with leaders from the National University of Singapore School of Pharmacy (NUS) who were seeking US placement for their PharmD students. This year NUS will graduate its first class of non-traditional PharmD students and in March of this year two of these five graduating PharmD candidtates (Jonathan Seah and Melissa Ngai) spent the month of March with Dr. Hughes in the Samford DIC to complete their drug information advanced pharmacy practice experience.
Recently, Dr. Hughes queried both students to offer any feedback (both positive and negative) regarding their experience at MSOP. Below is an excerpt from what one student had to say in his reflection of the month spent with Dr. Hughes.
In a message dated April 17, 2011 Jonathan Seah wrote:
"Hi Dr. Hughes,
I would like to express my thanks for your guidance and hospitality during my month in Birmingham. I have definitely had a positive experience and have given this feedback to (NUS administration).
For the rotation, there was a definite structure from introduction, to assignments and evaluation that I could use as a basis for sharing my experience and training future pharmacists in Singapore. Everyone we met had been hospitable and forthcoming with their help.
I think besides the knowledge and skills learnt, we also learnt more about providing more responsibilities and encouragement to our colleagues and juniors. This is something that is not always practised back in Singapore, and which should be improved on. Furthermore, being in Asia, we will also need to better relationships with our counterpart in the neighbouring countries to improve pharmacy practice.
In a couple of weeks, I'll be heading back to work and I hope my experience in the Pharm.D. course and in Birmingham would put me in better stead to have a positive impact on my patients' care. I also hope to inspire my colleagues to consider having these experiences that can transform their lives and likely their patients in the future.
Cheers,
Jonathan"
If you wish to read more about Jonathan and Melissa's experience at Samford you can follow the link below.
http://www4.samford.edu/belltower/030211/news_singapore_students.php
As always, please share your transformative stories from the world of pharmacy practice with us!
Happy Easter! May the joy of the Risen Lord be with you and your families!
The inspiration for today's message comes from Dr. P.J. Hughes who is an assistant professor in the Samford University Global Drug Information Center (DIC). At the Asian Conference on Clinical Pharmacy over the past several years, as an effort to continue to live and breathe the mission and vision of MSOP, we have had several productive conversations with leaders from the National University of Singapore School of Pharmacy (NUS) who were seeking US placement for their PharmD students. This year NUS will graduate its first class of non-traditional PharmD students and in March of this year two of these five graduating PharmD candidtates (Jonathan Seah and Melissa Ngai) spent the month of March with Dr. Hughes in the Samford DIC to complete their drug information advanced pharmacy practice experience.
Recently, Dr. Hughes queried both students to offer any feedback (both positive and negative) regarding their experience at MSOP. Below is an excerpt from what one student had to say in his reflection of the month spent with Dr. Hughes.
In a message dated April 17, 2011 Jonathan Seah wrote:
"Hi Dr. Hughes,
I would like to express my thanks for your guidance and hospitality during my month in Birmingham. I have definitely had a positive experience and have given this feedback to (NUS administration).
For the rotation, there was a definite structure from introduction, to assignments and evaluation that I could use as a basis for sharing my experience and training future pharmacists in Singapore. Everyone we met had been hospitable and forthcoming with their help.
I think besides the knowledge and skills learnt, we also learnt more about providing more responsibilities and encouragement to our colleagues and juniors. This is something that is not always practised back in Singapore, and which should be improved on. Furthermore, being in Asia, we will also need to better relationships with our counterpart in the neighbouring countries to improve pharmacy practice.
In a couple of weeks, I'll be heading back to work and I hope my experience in the Pharm.D. course and in Birmingham would put me in better stead to have a positive impact on my patients' care. I also hope to inspire my colleagues to consider having these experiences that can transform their lives and likely their patients in the future.
Cheers,
Jonathan"
If you wish to read more about Jonathan and Melissa's experience at Samford you can follow the link below.
http://www4.samford.edu/belltower/030211/news_singapore_students.php
As always, please share your transformative stories from the world of pharmacy practice with us!
Monday, April 18, 2011
MSOP Public Health Residents and Faculty Transform Lives
Friends:
The inspiration for today's post comes from Jessica Skelley, PharmD, Pharmacy Practice Resident at the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) . Our faculty (Drs. Lander and Dugan) and residents (currently Drs. Skelley and Monroe) who practice at the JCDH provide a such a valued service to our immediate and surrounding community. Recently, one of the JCDH patients, with whom our faculty and residents have regular interaction, wrote a letter of support to assist them an effort to apply for a practice-based award of recognition. Below is the letter this patient wrote the awards selection committee about our transformative pharmacy team at JCDH:
"Dear Award Selection Committee,
My name is Name Withheld, and I am a 55 year old Caucasian woman with Type 2 diabetes. I have had diabetes for several years, but have always had trouble controlling my diabetes and my blood sugar. My physician at the health department, Dr. Name Withheld, referred me to the Diabetes Clinic to help me have better control over my diabetes. When I first began seeing the Diabetes Clinic pharmacists in September 2010, my A1C was 11.7%. They explained to me what my goal A1C was, and how to better take care of myself. They helped teach me how to test and log my blood sugars, and how my medications help to treat my diabetes and the importance of taking them. We discussed diet, exercise, and setting attainable goals for myself. With all of my medical complications and my age, my physician relied on the pharmacists heavily for medication choices and dosage adjustments. They also called me regularly to check in on me and see how my blood sugar was doing- it was encouraging and helpful for me to be able to touch base with them so frequently, and helped keep me on track with managing my diabetes. When I came to clinic to see them they took time to talk with me and listen to the whole picture. With their (the pharmacist's) help and encouragement, I was able to reach an A1C of 7.2% by December 2010!
I am not the only person impressed with my progress. An endocrinologist that I saw at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital checked my A1C the last time that I saw her, and she was so amazed at the change in my diabetes control that she asked what I was doing differently. I told her about the pharmacist team that runs the Diabetes Clinic at the health department, and she asked me to put her in touch with them so she could learn more about what they are doing and how they are so effective with patients like me. It encourages me that my medical team is reaching out to each other simply because they want to help other patients like me, and learn from each other the best way to do it. Without the help of the Diabetes Clinic, I don’t know where I would be. They have helped me take control of my own health and better understand how to manage my diabetes. They have even helped me successfully quit smoking, and I have been smoke-free for 4 years. I am so grateful for everything they have done to help me and all the other patients that they see.
Sincerely,
Name Withheld "
We will be sure to let you know how the awards selection process works out!
The inspiration for today's post comes from Jessica Skelley, PharmD, Pharmacy Practice Resident at the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) . Our faculty (Drs. Lander and Dugan) and residents (currently Drs. Skelley and Monroe) who practice at the JCDH provide a such a valued service to our immediate and surrounding community. Recently, one of the JCDH patients, with whom our faculty and residents have regular interaction, wrote a letter of support to assist them an effort to apply for a practice-based award of recognition. Below is the letter this patient wrote the awards selection committee about our transformative pharmacy team at JCDH:
"Dear Award Selection Committee,
My name is Name Withheld, and I am a 55 year old Caucasian woman with Type 2 diabetes. I have had diabetes for several years, but have always had trouble controlling my diabetes and my blood sugar. My physician at the health department, Dr. Name Withheld, referred me to the Diabetes Clinic to help me have better control over my diabetes. When I first began seeing the Diabetes Clinic pharmacists in September 2010, my A1C was 11.7%. They explained to me what my goal A1C was, and how to better take care of myself. They helped teach me how to test and log my blood sugars, and how my medications help to treat my diabetes and the importance of taking them. We discussed diet, exercise, and setting attainable goals for myself. With all of my medical complications and my age, my physician relied on the pharmacists heavily for medication choices and dosage adjustments. They also called me regularly to check in on me and see how my blood sugar was doing- it was encouraging and helpful for me to be able to touch base with them so frequently, and helped keep me on track with managing my diabetes. When I came to clinic to see them they took time to talk with me and listen to the whole picture. With their (the pharmacist's) help and encouragement, I was able to reach an A1C of 7.2% by December 2010!
I am not the only person impressed with my progress. An endocrinologist that I saw at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital checked my A1C the last time that I saw her, and she was so amazed at the change in my diabetes control that she asked what I was doing differently. I told her about the pharmacist team that runs the Diabetes Clinic at the health department, and she asked me to put her in touch with them so she could learn more about what they are doing and how they are so effective with patients like me. It encourages me that my medical team is reaching out to each other simply because they want to help other patients like me, and learn from each other the best way to do it. Without the help of the Diabetes Clinic, I don’t know where I would be. They have helped me take control of my own health and better understand how to manage my diabetes. They have even helped me successfully quit smoking, and I have been smoke-free for 4 years. I am so grateful for everything they have done to help me and all the other patients that they see.
Sincerely,
Name Withheld "
We will be sure to let you know how the awards selection process works out!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
MSOP Continues to Transform Pharmacy Practice Worldwide
Friends:
We received a thoughtful message from Hyunah Kim, PharmD, BCPS who is a MSOP graduate and completed her PGY-1 residency at West Virginia University Medical Center immediately following graduation here. Following her completion of residency training Dr. Kim was awarded the distinction of board certification in pharmacotherapy through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties. For the past several years Dr. Kim has been a faculty member of the School of Pharmacy at Seoul National University in her native homeland of Korea. We are truly proud to call Dr. Kim one of our own!
In a note dated April 13, 2011 Dr. Kim wrote, "In my role as a professor at the College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea, I have had the opportunity to Transform lives by providing up-to-date knowledge and skills related to the practice of clinical pharmacy to young Korean pharmacy students. My goal is to produce pharmacists that assume the responsibility for providing patient-centered care that ensures optimal drug therapy outcomes for the people of Korea. I am grateful to the education I received at the McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University, that has prepared me for this role as a professor."
Again, be sure to let us know how MSOP has helped you become an agent for transformation within the profession of pharmacy!
We received a thoughtful message from Hyunah Kim, PharmD, BCPS who is a MSOP graduate and completed her PGY-1 residency at West Virginia University Medical Center immediately following graduation here. Following her completion of residency training Dr. Kim was awarded the distinction of board certification in pharmacotherapy through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties. For the past several years Dr. Kim has been a faculty member of the School of Pharmacy at Seoul National University in her native homeland of Korea. We are truly proud to call Dr. Kim one of our own!
In a note dated April 13, 2011 Dr. Kim wrote, "In my role as a professor at the College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea, I have had the opportunity to Transform lives by providing up-to-date knowledge and skills related to the practice of clinical pharmacy to young Korean pharmacy students. My goal is to produce pharmacists that assume the responsibility for providing patient-centered care that ensures optimal drug therapy outcomes for the people of Korea. I am grateful to the education I received at the McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University, that has prepared me for this role as a professor."
Again, be sure to let us know how MSOP has helped you become an agent for transformation within the profession of pharmacy!
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