As a student pharmacist, it is important to become involved within organizations at your school or college of pharmacy to grow in leadership abilities and enhance character. I have always enjoyed keeping a busy schedule and demonstrating mentorship to others.

The academic challenges the COVID-19 pandemic brought to colleges and schools of pharmacy across the country is often discussed. What is talked about less often is how student organizations suffered for the same reasons.

For some people—including students who declare a prepharmacy track—pharmacy is simply a rewarding career to pursue. There is limited knowledge about the profession beyond media portrayal, and they simply expect pharmacy school to be a harder version of their current coursework. That’s why it is our job as student pharmacists to intentionally engage these students and show them how our incredible profession runs so much deeper than what society sees. It’s our responsibility to expose them to the tight-knit community, the professional development, and the endless opportunities that pharmacy fosters so that when the days get long and classes get tough, they are encouraged to keep working diligently.

Prior to attending pharmacy school on a satellite campus, I had my doubts whether I could immerse myself in all the opportunities I could have had on the main campus. Involvement in the campus community brings a greater sense of belonging, and that’s something I have always valued. Now as a student pharmacist leader on a satellite campus, I have the opportunity to bridge the geographical and metaphorical gap between campuses. We truly are one school and one chapter, so playing to each campus culture’s strengths has made the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) School of Pharmacy’s APhA–ASP Chapter so successful.

The journey through pharmacy school is a marathon, not a sprint. As a final-year PharmD candidate, I know this all too well and have a few words of wisdom for student pharmacists in their first year.