First-year students invited to attend Kansas Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting

Hello student pharmacists!

My name is Ellie Flynn, I am a current third-year student pharmacist at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, and I have the honor of serving as president of our American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) chapter. First of all, I am reaching out to congratulate you on beginning your pharmacy school journey! This is a big transition, and I wanted to share some opportunities with you that can help kick start your professional development journey. 

APhA-ASP is the oldest and largest pharmaceutical association both nationally and within our school. We represent all areas of pharmacy, so whether you are already set on a career path or are still exploring, APhA-ASP is a great place to call home. The mission of our organization is to be the collective voice of student pharmacists, provide opportunities for professional growth, improve patient care, and envision and advance the future of pharmacy. We host several volunteer opportunities, professional conferences, policy and advocacy campaigns, and fun socials. We have leadership positions at the chapter, regional, national, and international level and opportunities to apply for individual awards and scholarships as well. We will have a booth on orientation day, so stop by to say hi and get some free goodies, and please come join us for our first General Body Meeting on Wednesday 8/28 at noon to learn more about our organization and have some free lunch. 

One of the key pieces of our chapter is our collaboration with the Kansas Pharmacists Association (KPhA). You can think of KPhA as APhA, but doing work locally that will affect your practice as a pharmacist in the state of Kansas. For example, technicians being able to vaccinate is just one of the many wonderful outcomes of KPhA's advocacy efforts. This year the KPhA Annual Meeting and Trade Show is going to be held on 8/23-8/25 in Manhattan, Kansas. This conference is a great opportunity to meet your classmates, older students, and current practitioners while learning more about the wonderful world of pharmacy. The cost of registration is only $25 for students, several meals are provided, and our chapter will provide affordable spots in our hotel block. The link to register can be found here! It will make you create an account, but membership is free for all student pharmacists. Once you register, please email me a screenshot of your registration and let me know if you would like to stay in our hotel block, find your own housing, or commute. To be included in the hotel block please reply before July 24th.

I know this is a LOT of information to take in before even starting school, but trust me when I say getting involved in organizations is the most rewarding part of pharmacy school. I will be hosting an "office hour" session via Teams call on Monday 7/22 from 7-8pm CT, and a KPhA staff member will also be present. Use this Link to join the meeting! Feel free to pop in to ask questions about APhA-ASP, KPhA, pharmacy school in general, or even just to chat. Please reach out with any questions that you may have. I look forward to meeting you all!

Sincerely,

Ellie Flynn (She/Her)

Third-year Student Pharmacist

APhA-ASP Region 6 Midyear Regional Meeting Coordinator

APhA-ASP Chapter President

Student Ambassador Events Coordinator

University of Kansas School of Pharmacy

785-906-0405  |  elliephant1221@ku.edu