School of Pharmacy gives Broome-Tioga BOCES New Visions students an interactive experience

Students from BOCES’ New Visions program visited the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on Tuesday to get a first-hand look at what it takes to be a pharmacist.

The BOCES New Visions Health Academy is a rigorous, competitive-entry college preparation program for highly motivated high school seniors from local districts who are interested in healthcare careers.

The 28 students in the program take classes in medical terminology and other topics in healthcare while completing over 120 hours of clinical job-shadowing experience in healthcare careers at local hospitals and community partners.

Maja Brice, the director of admissions at SOPPS, helped coordinate the visit with BOCES.

“My role is to introduce prospective students — especially those from specialized programs like the BOCES New Visions program — to the world of pharmacy early in their academic journeys,” Brice said. “By offering them a glimpse into the dynamic nature of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program at SOPPS, we can help spark a lifelong interest in healthcare and pharmaceutical sciences.”

Several of the faculty and staff at the school volunteered to help with the tour and activities. Students received a tour of the school’s research labs, learned the basics for creating medication in the compounding lab and practiced patient care in the Skills Lab with the high-fidelity manikins.

“In the simulation lab with high-fidelity manikins, the students are presented with medical information about the patient, including a medication list and medication allergies, vital signs and a basic metabolic laboratory panel,” said Kenneth McCall, the chair and clinical professor for pharmacy practice. “They interview the patient (manikin) to obtain additional information, discuss the findings as a team and, with guidance from faculty, make a clinical recommendation.”

Rather than just telling the students about the profession of pharmacy, the school wants them to experience how pharmacists work on healthcare teams to improve patient care.

“The students are naturally hesitant at the beginning of the experience as they enter the simulation bay with the ’patient’ on the hospital bed,” McCall said. “It’s exciting to see a spark or joy of learning in many of them when they realize that they can actively participate in the scenario and make sense of it all.”

“Our faculty and staff are eager to mentor and inspire the next generation of pharmacists, and through interactions with these high school students, we have the opportunity to ignite their passion for patient care, research and innovation,” Brice added. “By engaging with them early and often, we can help them envision how their skills and interests align with the mission of the pharmacy profession, and ensure that they are prepared to take the next steps in their educational journey.”

Maureen Malloy, a New Visions Health Academy instructor for Broome-Tioga BOCES, was excited for these students to get such an eye-opening experience to the possibilities in the world of pharmacy.

“We are excited to have partnered with the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy to introduce these students to both the school and pharmaceutical careers through a hands-on and interactive tour,” Malloy said. “Many students are not aware of the many career pathways within pharmacy or that this resource is right in their backyard. We hope to bring awareness to the students as they apply to colleges for next year.”