Hi Future Pharmacists! My name is Tazche Turner and I am a fourth year PharmD Candidate at the University of North Carolina’s (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy. My passions for science, business and service led me to pursue a career in pharmacy. Throughout pharmacy school, I immersed myself into numerous organizations and leadership positions to really explore all pharmacy has to offer, but the organization I found my pharmacy home in was the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA). Its mission of “serving the underserved” truly resonated with me, my passion for service, and my goal to increase access to care in all of our communities as a pharmacist. In my first year of pharmacy school, I joined UNC’s local SNPhA chapter as the Power to End Stroke Co-Chair and planned events ranging from blood pressure and blood glucose screenings to a step-challenge to get our community moving! I attended SNPhA’s Regional Conferences and met amazing like-minded pharmacy students who were dedicated to service and improving the health of our underserved communities. Throughout my time in my local chapter, my passion for the organization, its mission, and the members grew and now as P4, I have the honor of serving as SNPhA’s National President– and one day you can too!
About the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA)
SNPhA is a dynamic, student-led association dedicated to advancing the profession of pharmacy, addressing healthcare issues, and improving minority representation within pharmacy. Our mission is to empower pharmacy students across the country through professional development opportunities and help them connect with a vast network of pharmacy professionals. With over 4,000 members and more than 100 collegiate chapters nationwide, we’re creating a movement.
SNPhA members are dedicated to “serving the underserved.” Our members are actively involved in their communities providing essential health education and screening services, as well as advocating for health equity and increased access to care to their local, state, and national legislatures. Annually, SNPhA serves over 100,000 patients and community members through eight key initiatives that we focus our service on:
- Bridging the Gap (Networking and Professional Engagement)
- Fighting Diabetes
- Legislative, Membership Benefits, and Immigration
- Mental Health
- Operation Immunization
- Power to End Stroke
- Project Keepsake (Chronic Kidney Disease)
- Remember the Ribbon (HIV/AIDS)
SNPhA’s mission and programming is executed by thousands of pharmacy students across the country and led by a National Board of 19 pharmacy students. This year my presidential theme is “Connected for Change.” By embracing the power of connection, this year SNPhA members will expand the impact they make in their communities, become closer with each other, and grow as future leaders in the pharmacy field!
To learn more about SNPhA visit: www.snpha.org
Why get involved as a Pre-Pharmacy Student?
Getting involved in national pharmacy organizations, such as SNPhA, early in your pharmacy career provides you numerous benefits and opportunities:
- Enhance your pharmacy school application and interviews by having unique pharmacy-related experiences to discuss
- Connect with pharmacy students and pharmacists who have been in your shoes and who want to provide guidance and mentorship to pre-pharmacy students
- Learn about emerging topics in pharmacy and key trends in the field
- Expand your knowledge on the numerous career opportunities for pharmacists
For me, student organizations and extra curricular activities helped me tremendously in finding a career path! Additionally, student organizations have provided me with the leadership skills, networking opportunities, and professional experiences to have a successful career in pharmacy!
Opportunities to get involved as a pre-pharmacy student
SNPhA has pre-pharmacy membership opportunities for undergraduate and high school students. Throughout the year, we offer numerous educational webinars, mentorship opportunities, conferences and competitions for our members to get involved with. I look forward to becoming Connected for Change with each of you this year!
To learn more about our membership opportunities visit: https://nationalpharmaceuticalassociation.org/SNPhA-Join
We thank Tazche for these amazing insights and for those with similar interests, visit the Pharm4Me website for more valuable information on becoming a pharmacist, and to read other inspirational stories, visit the Pharm4Me Blog.