Student pharmacists receive awards

KINGSVILLE, Texas — Students at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy received premier awards at the annual Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP) meeting April 26-28 in Austin.

Jesse Castillo from Fort Worth, Texas, and Martin Strait from Fairport, N.Y., both third-year student pharmacists, won first place against more than 70 teams in the Clinical Skills Competition. The competition included addressing a patient case with multiple health problems. The students were given two hours to address the case in writing, and on the second day the students defended their decision orally.

Madeline King, third-year student pharmacist from La Porte, Texas, won first place in the Disease State Management competition and Nola Finke, fourth-year student pharmacist from Bryan, Texas, received honorable mention. King and Finke were presented with a patient with a chronic illness. The students were given an agreement with a physician to adjust medications to help the patient. They counseled the patient and composed their response for judging.

TAMHSC-Rangel College of Pharmacy Student Society of Health-System Pharmacy (SSHP) had 29 students in attendance, 11 two-person teams participated in the Clinical Skills Competition and 10 individual students participated in the Disease State Management Competition. Twelve students presented a poster describing their research work. The Antibiotic Awareness and Immunizations Committee with the student chapter of SSHP was awarded the Innovation Award.

TSHP awarded scholarships to Castillo, King and Purvi Patel of Hamilton, Texas, all third-year student pharmacists.

The SSHP chapter president, Regina Roy, third-year student pharmacist of Dallas, was installed as chair of the Student Section Executive Committee (SSEC) of TSHP. Jacob George, second-year student pharmacist, and Justin Shanks, first-year student pharmacist, were also installed as members of the SSEC.

“Their efforts and successes definitely left a mark on the conference and made the Rangel College of Pharmacy shine,” said Andrea Mora Luce, Pharm.D., assistant professor of pharmacy practice and co-adviser of SSHP chapter.

More than 50 students, alumni and friends listened to Indra K. Reddy, Ph.D., professor and founding dean, discuss college initiatives, successes and future developments at the alumni and friends reception Friday night at the conference.

The TSHP 2013 annual seminar, Moving Pharmacy Forward: A Capital Idea, was at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. The TAMHSC-Rangel College of Pharmacy had a booth throughout the conference, and a reception for alumni and friends. Students presented posters, participated in clinical skills and diseases state management competitions and attended presentations.