News @ VCU School of Pharmacy
Alumni get a feel for SOP 2009
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Who knew the School of Pharmacy student lounge would dress up so nicely?
As part of Reunion Weekend 2009, the room was decked out the evening of April 24 in white tablecloths, vases of flowers and potted trees, giving the lounge a cozy but elegant ambience. (Students might note for future reference!)
The occasion was the Pharmacy Cocktail Reception and Awards Ceremony, paying tribute to
Jennifer Edwards (Pharm.D. ’99), who received the 2009 Distinguished Pharmacy Alumnus Award, and
Bronwyn Burnham (B.S. ’89), recipient of the 2009 Pharmacy Alumni Service Award.
Dean Victor Yanchick made comments on Edwards’ and Burnham’s achievements, then gave them engraved plaques. Their names also will be engraved on larger plaques that list all the distinguished award winners since 1981 and all the service award winners since 1989.
“Obviously, I wouldn’t be here without those who helped me along the way,” said Edwards.
“I mostly serve every year as the presenter of an award,” Burnham said, laughing. “It’s nice to receive an award!” The field has come far, she said, since she graduated 20 years ago.
Noting the presence of several current students, Yanchick said, “I can’t tell you how proud I am of our students. They’re energetic, professional, willing to go the second mile. The future of pharmacy is in good hands.”
Earlier in the day, he and associate professor
Cindy Kirkwood (B.S. ’82, Pharm.D. ’85) talked about “The Face of Pharmacy Education Today” as featured speakers for the third annual
Warren Weaver Continuing Education Lectureship.
Yanchick noted, much to the delight of alumni, that although the curriculum and, indeed, the field of pharmacy are undergoing major changes, “We’re back in McGuire!” That’s where students who graduated before the mid-1980s took most of their classes.
The dean’s talk ranged from trends in pharmacy practice (technology, automation, demand for new services) to the AACP’s predictions for the field (multidisciplinary teams, information systems to maintain and retrieve patient data, practitioners who understand everything from health-care policy to financing, regulation and delivery).
In 1951, Yanchick pointed out, there was only one Pharm.D. professional degree program in the country. Now there are 109, with at least 15 programs actively applying for approval. As of last fall, he said, 52,685 students (average age: 26) were enrolled in Pharm.D. programs.
Students are learning differently, given the Web, laptops, iPods and so forth. “This is the exception to the rule, me standing up here before you, talking,” said Yanchick.
In addition to changes in teaching and learning, the School of Pharmacy now has more than 70 faculty members, about 40 of whom hold Pharm.D. degrees. This fall, tuition will be more than $19,000 and the school’s budget, more than $20 million.
The bottom line? “Pharmacy is much different than when we were in school. It’s going to continue to evolve.”
On the other hand, sometimes it seems there’s nothing new under the sun.
“Pharmacognosy is back!” a smiling Kirkwood told alumni attending the lectureship. Among other changes in the curriculum, she said, are an increase in social and administrative sciences, team-based learning and a bigger emphasis on professionalism.
When Kirkwood offered alumni the chance to quiz P1 students, Bobby Krzyzanowski tossed out the first question to the alums: “What do you think about the new curriculum?”
“Wow,” said Christine Pippin Dunn (B.S. ’59) of Abingdon. “I think it’s a good thing … but we’d be almost obsolete now!”
Asked how the students liked being “guinea pigs” for the new curriculum, Brad Martin replied, “It’s a learning process. … Even compared to the class before us, we’re like a P-point-5,” he said, laughing. “They keep us really busy.”
Sara Tittermary said the focus now is more on medicinal chemistry. Because some of the new prerequisites were announced late, she said, she had a hard time meeting them. “But it was worth it.”
Richard Marshall (B.S. ’49) of Urbanna asked if students still had to take a first-aid course. “Students have to have CPR by the fourth year,” Kirkwood responded. “We’ve had someone who had to revive someone in a pharmacy!”
When Marshall asked about Saturday classes – in the 1940s, Saturday classes were held till 1 p.m. – Tittermary said, “No, that’s sleeping time!”
Another big change noted by alumni: The class of 1959 had five female students, while the class of 2012 is 68 percent female.
Rounding out Reunion Weekend – in addition to events such as the Second Pharmacy Alumni and Student Golf Tournament and the Pharmacy Class of 1959’s 50th Reunion Dinner – was the Pharmacy Alumni Block Party on April 25, featuring local British invasion band The English Channel.
While the band performed a wide range of tunes from “Knights in White Satin” to “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” alumni lunched on picnic fare such as barbecue, hot dogs and brownies.
Anita Goodall Ford (B.S. ’74) of Macon, Ga. – carrying a shopping bag from visits to the Valentine Richmond History Center and the MCV Campus shop – said she’d love to move back to the area one day. During offstage breaks, English Channel keyboardist and alumnus
Bob Quarles (B.S. ’79) chatted with old friends and made some new fans, as did his wife, lead singer
Julie Quarles.
The temperature hit 90 degrees that day. But plenty of chilled beverages, several big tents and the live entertainment made for a “cool” event.
Submitted By:
Cynthia McMullen
5/7/2009