Buies Creek–Campbell University’s School of Pharmacy wrapped up its third annual Pharmacy Readiness and Enrichment program (PREP) with a “Diversity” reception and dinner held Friday, May 23. The dinner celebrated the accomplishments of the 56 undergraduate minority students from 21 colleges and universities throughout the state and some from out-of-state who arrived on campus Sunday, May 18, intent on entering pharmacy school.The week-long PREP summer program, which focuses on promoting diversity within the pharmacy profession, helps prepare undergraduates for the Pharmacy School admissions process by teaching content and strategies for taking the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), interviewing skills and other important skill requirements.”It’s a very rigorous program,” said Gabrielle Morgan, director of Student Services and Admissions for the Pharmacy School. “The students are in class six hours a day and attend lunch and dinner programs with representatives from the different areas of pharmacy practice, including community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, clinical research, pharmaceutical science and others.”Dr. Peggy Valentine, dean of Winston-Salem State University’s School of Health Sciences delivered the dinner’s keynote address.”In North Carolina minorities represent 30 percent of the population, but account for only 15 percent of the pharmacists,” she said. “Given the projected growth of minorities in our state, we will have a worsening shortage of health professionals in the future unless action is taken now. I congratulate you on being accepted into this program and for your interest in pharmacy, and I salute the Campbell University School of Pharmacy for your dedication to enhancing diversity.”PREP programIn 2006, Campbell’s School of Pharmacy recognized the need for cultural and ethnic diversity in the pharmacy profession and obtained a state grant to promote and stimulate interest in the field for minority students with the goal of increasing the number of qualified minority applicants to pharmacy school. The Pharmacy Readiness and Enrichment Program (PREP) relies upon strong relationships with partner institutions Central Carolina Community College, Fayetteville State University, Shaw University, North Carolina Central University, Winston-Salem State University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke to identify and encourage undergraduate minorities with a keen interest in science to participate in the week-long summer program.CVS Pharmacies also supports as many as six PREP students through corporate funds and grants from CVS Caremark Charitable Trust.”Too often minority students are not exposed to career options in the field of pharmacy,” said Dr. Ronald Maddox, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “During this summer program, we give students the tools that will change their lives and career path.”North Carolina Senator Harris Blake and his wife Barbara also attended the dinner. Blake represents North Carolina’s 22nd District which includes Harnett and Moore counties.Photo copy: Second-year pharmacy students,Hong Tran, left, and Toshica Conyers, chat with North Carolina Senator Harris Blake at the Pharmacy School’s Diversity dinner and reception.
Dinner celebrates accomplishments of Pharmacy Readiness students