This week marks one month since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. The category 5 storm was the strongest to make landfall on the island in 85 years. It knocked out power, destroyed homes and caused widespread flooding. Among the devastation, several practice sites for University of Puerto Rico School of Pharmacy students were also damaged or destroyed. Read More
Faculty member Jacci Bainbridge, PharmD, together with Clinical Neurology Research Fellow Matt Makelky, PharmD, are currently studying cannabis and its effectiveness in treating a variety of conditions including back pain, Parkinson’s tremor and seizure disorders in children.
Some of the first prospective cannabis trials on the Anschutz Medical Campus “Will hopefully help determine the cannabis’ effectives in treating these types of disorders, side effects and dosing levels,” says Jacci Bainbridge. Read More
Four hundred and forty two Colorado high school students, undergraduate students and pre-health advisors, attended the third annual CU Pre-Health Day on the Anschutz Campus, Sept. 23. With just over 200 students attending the first event in 2015, it shows tremendous growth for the event.
CU Pre-Health Day was developed to provide students and advisors with information that can help ensure success in a health-related admissions process, “I am pretty sure that I want to go to med school and I think this is helping me decide what steps I need to take now and things I need to get involved in now to prepare a good application,” explained Gabrielle Hyde, a freshman at the University of Denver.
At the CU Anschutz 5th Annual Block Party, pop rock bands Wildermiss and iZCALLi blasted their tunes from the center of Bonfils Circle into the ears of hundreds of people swarming 20 food trucks and 130 booths. Students, faculty, parents, and kids flocked to the Skaggs School of Pharmacy booth, lured by the sweet scents of essential oils, and the promise of custom-scented hand lotion. From the classic scents like lavender and patchouli, to the more exotic scents like Tobacco & Rum and Pancake Syrup, attendees left with a self-compounded jar of lotion, big smiles, and a better understanding of what pharmacists actually do.
Many people have rushed to the aid of Houston citizens in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, including many UCHealth employees. One such volunteer is pulmonary nurse Rachel Kuker who was featured in Katie Kerwin McCrimmon’s article, CE helps nurse during Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Read More
Undergraduate college students spent time on campus this summer through the Undergraduate Pre-Health Program, or UPP. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion partners with Kaiser Permanente Health Plan of Colorado for the 13-month program. The program gives historically underrepresented students the opportunity to explore all types of health careers. They get direct access to faculty, deans and staff on the Anschutz Medical Campus and are able to work in research, both clinical and scientific, and shadow health care professionals. Read More
For Nigerian pharmacists Titilayo Fakeye and Omolola Nwokoma coming to America to participate in the FIP foundation’s Pharmabridge program at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy for one month has been “without reservation — great.” Read More
The finale to orientation week for our incoming students is the White Coat Ceremony. 164 students received their white coats and then signed and recited the Oath of the Professional Pharmacy Student, which they created as a class. They’re now officially working their way towards their PharmD. Welcome class of 2021!!
Used in Native American healing, some compounds in pungent plant stronger than available pharmaceutical treatments. Read More
The CU Pre-Health Scholars Program (CUPS) is designed to motivate high school students to pursue a college education and enroll in a professional health career or graduate school program. Here’s a look at what these students did in the pharmacy class this summer.
“It’s really opened my eyes to the medical field and different opportunities that are available,” says high school junior Sanam Dean, she’s one of the students that participated in the CU Pre-Health Scholars Program (CUPS) this summer. The program is designed to motivate high school students to pursue a college education and enroll in a professional health career or graduate school program. Read More
“Ever since I was 16 I wanted to go to med school,” says second-year pharmacy student Miya Holley. Being diagnosed with Type I diabetes at 16 allowed Holley to see more of the system, “especially from a patient’s perspective and it interested me.”
Like many undergraduate students, Holley fumbled around with a variety of majors and finally settled on microbiology. Read More
It’s hard to believe that recent CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy graduate Adam McHenry was ever a problem child. As an eighth grader, McHenry was a handful. “I didn’t care if I was in class or not. I hung out with the wrong crowd,” says McHenry.
One day, the school called his parents and told them that they had not seen him for a while. “The next month, my parents enrolled me in a Lutheran school. It turned my life around.” Read More
There’s currently a national shortage of sodium bicarbonate, yes baking soda, for use in medical procedures. The shortage of injectable sodium bicarbonate, is prompting health care providers to postpone some non-emergent procedures and operations, so they have some on hand for emergencies, “One form is an emergency syringe, used in some patients who have a cardiac event. When hospitals don’t have enough of that, they get really nervous that a cardiac event might occur in one place, and they wouldn’t have some readily available,” explains Peter Rice, PharmD, PhD with the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy. Read More
Nearly two dozen students from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, including pharmacy, recently visited Rio Grande County in Southern Colorado for Rural Immersion Week. The experience is for health professions students who are interested in living and working in a rural area “I really enjoyed the Rural Immersion Week! We got to meet with local community leaders and learn what it was like to live in a rural community,” says third year student Amanda Howard, who represented the school along with Jhani Williams, Dario Martinez and Nicola Maude. Read More
“Having my daughter and I obtain doctorates at the same time is a seminal moment,” says Maumi Villarreal. She and her husband, Daniel, are both first generation college graduates and have modeled a college education to their daughters — Sarah and Chelsea. “Our parents are very proud of us,” says Villarreal.
Villarreal passed on her love of pharmacy to her eldest daughter, when Sarah would help her mom at the local ASHP meetings. Read More
Thousands of high school students interested in health care careers descended upon Disney World and became more acquainted with pharmacy during International HOSA’s (Health Occupations Students of America) annual conference in Orlando. CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy featured prominently in various activities, including a popular interactive exhibit and five workshops. Read More
Can you imagine total silence or hearing only muffled conversations? “You adapt,” says recent CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy graduate Lauren Kirchner. “But there is an advantage. Patients think I am really engaging with them because I am concentrating on their lips and hearing what they have to say.”
And in a career that requires patient interaction, being attentive is a plus. Read More
A great preceptor doesn’t just give professional guidance and help mentees grow academically, they also help students grow personally and learn to believe in themselves. That’s exactly what Dr. Erin Johnson-Mundo does, and because of that is the winner of this year’s Health-System Excellence in Precepting Award.
“She is truly an exceptional preceptor,” says University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences fourth year student Ursula Fiala, “Erin was supportive, encouraging and patient during the entire rotation which really helped to build my confidence. She also treated me with respect kindness and compassion.” Read More
Creator and host of the Talk Pharmacy podcast, Ahsun Babalmorad is a natural when it comes to interviewing his subjects. The program, which airs on iTunes, provides listeners with interviews of students and faculty, offering insights into the world of pharmacy and the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy.
Of Iranian heritage, Babalmorad comes by his ability to talk — and more importantly to listen — naturally. His father worked for an American oil company prior to the Iranian revolution in the 1970s and was sent to study engineering in the US. While here, the revolution broke out back home, so his father and mother decided to stay and raise a family. “At that time, my parents saw more opportunity in the US than in their home country,” says Babalmorad, a first generation American and Colorado native. Read More
