High school students explore pharmacy practice at PharmPath event

Photos by Reg Good

A group of 40 high school students from the Greater Toronto Area recently participated in an enriching educational experience exploring pharmacists’ scope of practice.

Held on March 16 at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, this event, integral to the PharmPath initiative, served as an experiential opportunity for students, particularly from underrepresented communities, to meet and speak with current pharmacy students and professionals. Through a mix of informative sessions and activities, participants gained valuable insights into careers in pharmacy.

The initiative, funded by the University of Toronto’s Access Programs University Fund, was co-led by Sandra Bjelajac Mejia, assistant professor (teaching stream) at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and Lachmi Singh who is currently director, academic programs, planning and quality assurance in the Office of the Vice Provost, Academic Programs at the University of Toronto, and was previously the director, equity diversity and inclusion and director, education program and administrative services at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

“Recognizing the need for representation in the profession, we wanted to reach students from diverse communities and get them thinking about potential careers in pharmacy,” said Bjelajac Mejia. “We engaged them in clinical and technical aspects of pharmacy practice, and we hope that this view into pharmacists’ scope of practice sparks interest in pharmacy some of these students.”

“Recognizing the need for representation in the profession, we wanted to reach students from diverse communities and get them thinking about potential careers in pharmacy.”

PharmPath is a program designed to help high school students from underrepresented communities learn about the career options within the pharmacy field and perhaps ultimately choose to pursue a career in the field.

Launched earlier this year, it includes a series of videos with testimonials from students, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacists, specifically from Black and Indigenous communities. It also includes simulation modules to help students understand the scopes of practice of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. Building the highly collaborative project involved engaging with students, faculty and pharmacy professionals who helped to design the videos and simulations. Their partnership with the STEM Fellowship organization helped raise awareness and promote attendance at the in-person experiential day.

Speakers and activities highlight breadth of pharmacy profession

The event kicked off with the keynote talk by Jaris Swidrovich, assistant professor (teaching stream) at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, who shared his personal journey in pharmacy research and education. By sharing his many education and career experiences – which included medication counselling, providing medical information, management and research – students were able to learn the breadth of career opportunities in the profession and the different paths that can be taken to get there. He emphasized that education opens many doors, and students have opportunities to tailor a pharmacy career to their own interests.

“You can do so much with a pharmacy degree, and you learn important skills that you can take in any number of directions,” said Swidrovich.

Christina Vuong, a grade 11 student, said she was very inspired by Swidrovich’s talk.

“I really enjoyed hearing about his journey and hearing how he found his way to pharmacy,” she says. “It’s good to know that there isn’t just one path to get where you want to go, and you don’t need to commit to any particular pathway when you start.”

Following the keynote, students also had the opportunity to engage in learning activities and tour the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy building and U of T St. George campus with members of the Black Pharmacy Students’ Association.

Students joined David Dubins, associate professor (teaching stream), in the pharmaceutics laboratory for an interactive activity preparing a gel that could be used as a vehicle for a medication. By using lab tools and ingredients, students were able to see the type of work that takes place in pharmaceutics labs.

Led by Bjelajac Mejia and fourth-year pharmacy student Rim Al-Khulaidi, students engaged in a pediatric patient case simulation where they practiced auditing an antibiotic prescription for a child’s middle ear infection. Guided by faculty, lab staff, and current pharmacy students, they learned how to access and interpret reliable drug information resources and engage in clinical decision-making that is part of the patient care process.

“The day has really opened my eyes to new things and made me realize there are so many cool things you can do,” said Raiesha Jannat, grade 9. “The speakers were really good and very positive, the lab activities were fun, and they have opened my mind to what a career in health care can look like.”

“This experiential day was all about engaging students in practice-based activities and making connections, and I am so pleased that we were able to achieve this goal.”

Singh said, “It was great to see all the interactions and how much everyone – students, volunteers, faculty and guests – enjoyed the day.”

Bjelajac Mejia added, “I was truly impressed by the energy the students brought to the day and their excellent questions about pharmacy practice. This experiential day was all about engaging students in practice-based activities and making connections, and I am so pleased that we were able to achieve this goal.”