Nation shines on student efforts in pharmacy

The Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) brought home more than $6,800 in scholarships and awards and were honored in the Top 9 organizations in the nation.

At the National Pharmacy Association opening session July 27 in New Orleans, third-year professional pharmacy student Meghan Dorosk of Houston received the $2,000 Kroger Co. Endowed Scholarship and fourth-year professional pharmacy student Sarah Shanks of Spring, Texas, received the $1,000 Dr. Horace & Ethel Bynum Endowed Scholarship.

The chapter president, fourth-year professional pharmacy student Purvi Patel of Hamilton, Texas, received $1,000 for the J.B. Hills Chapter President of the Year award, $2,000 for the Walmart-National Pharmacy Association Future Leaders in Pharmacy award, and Walmart sponsored her conference registration fee.

“I am so excited about my big win at nationals for president of the year,” Patel said. “I still can’t believe it. Our members and SNPhA executive team made it possible and have been a driving force in my continued development as a leader as they pushed me to aim higher and higher.”

In addition, third-year professional pharmacy student Robin Walters of Lubbock, Texas, was awarded the National Pharmacy Association registration sponsorship which paid for his conference registrations fee.

For the second year in a row, the Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy SNPhA Chapter was in the running for the national Chapter Excellence Award sponsored by Rite Aid, which the chapter was one of three finalists among 80 chapters nationwide.  The chapter reached more than 6,000 lives this year in various outreach projects, including blood pressure and glucose checks at the H-E-B Second Saturday screenings.

Fourth-year professional pharmacy student Christine Carney of Katy, Texas, was honored with the Rite Aid-SNPhA Community Leader of the Year, where she was one of seven national finalists.

Two teams competed in the National Clinical Skills Competition, third-year professional pharmacy student and president-elect of SNPhA Mahmoud Sabawi of Portland, Texas, and Meghan Dorosk and Purvi Patel and fourth-year professional pharmacy student Ashley Fox of Aransas Pass, Texas.