My reignited motivation following MRM2024
Sean Kawa is a second-year PharmD candidate at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Attendance at the 2024 APhA–ASP Midyear Regional Meeting (MRM) was an incredible opportunity that I would inarguably encourage any and all student pharmacists to attend in the future. To engage with this experience is to open oneself to new relationships, perspectives, and strategies for personal and professional growth. As an on-site attendee of MRM2024 in Washington, DC, I found that I had been exposed directly to the virtues of APhA.
Stellar speaker lineup
The ceremonious opening reception held on the rooftop of APhA headquarters initiated the on-site programming. This event granted time to reunite with faraway friends and form new relationships with students from across the country. All the while, the monumental backdrop of the adjacent Lincoln Memorial occupied our view, reminding us of the true weight of this profession as a pillar in American society.
The following day commenced a speaker series consisting of accomplished pharmacists who each presented unique wisdom for listeners. Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP, led the agenda with an account of the journey that led her to become a vocal public educator and pharmacy advocate. In doing so, attendees were reminded of our capacity and duty to extend professional knowledge with strategies appropriate to modern media.
Conversely, Kaelen Dunican, PharmD, detailed the risks of media advancement, particularly as it pertains to the augmentation of medical misinformation and mistrust. Here, she resounded our responsibility to be stewards of accepted medical information that best supports the health of our communities.
Following this conversation, new practitioner Olunife Akinmolayan, PharmD, addressed the financial burdens that may loom over student pharmacists. As he provided insight into financial literacy, I felt as though the daunting perception of student debt was diminished. Strategies for saving, investing, and acquiring funds through scholarships, fellowships, and other sources allowed me and assuredly other listeners to feel a stronger sense of financial control.
Subsequent presentations outlined pharmacy career paths and the methods by which we can confidently walk them. NASA pharmacist Tina Bayuse, PharmD, RPh, FAsMA, reminded us that the limitless scope of pharmacy truly extends from the community to the stars. And, with enough initiative and persistence, any professional dream can be realized. Reinforcing these messages was Melissa Duke, MS, BCPS, FAPhA, who rejected the notion of “settling” for a career that does not fulfill one’s principles. Instead, we must not fear change in the pursuit of professional fulfillment.
The final discussion invited Jake Nichols, PharmD, MBA, to courageously reflect on opioid misuse as well as how future professionals can identify and best communicate treatment options to patients in a manner that removes prejudice or stigma.
An investment in your future
Ultimately, I was left with reignited motivation and broadened perspective that I will bring to my home chapter. My choice to attend on-site in the nation’s capital led me to truly recognize the tangible impact APhA holds within the profession. I am also grateful for the friendships I have made with fellow students and future colleagues.
Student pharmacists should have no doubt that attending this experience, whether virtually or on-site, will be a deeply fulfilling investment.