MO Pharmacist August 2022

ACADEMIA NEWS U M K C S C H O O L O F P H A R M A C Y

The Ever EvolvingWorld of Pharmacy

Spring is synonymous with new beginnings as nature emerges from hiber nation. Spring also signifies hope as we are immersed in an awe-inspiring transformation. Spring is a reminder of how wonderful change can be. This past spring, as pharmacy students neared the end of their fourth pro fessional year, they were not only sufficiently prepared, but thoroughly excited as they morphed from learner to graduate, intern to pharmacist. One hundred forty-eight students earned aDoctor of Pharmacy degree from the UMKC School of Pharmacy this past May. Family, friends, faculty and staff gathered on a warm, sunny afternoon to witness students from each of our sites receiving their doctoral hood as part of the UMKC School of Pharmacy regalia ceremony. Dr. Steve Stoner, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, placed the doctoral hood over the head of each student signifying successful completion of the doctoral program. These same students be came alumni following the commencement ceremony held the next day at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium. Approximately one-third of this year’s graduateswill be embarking onpost-doctoral training programs across the country, with the majority of others accepting community, hospital, and pharmaceutical industry positions. While we enjoy celebrating the accomplishments of our recent graduating class, we relish inopportunities that introduce and inspire young students to the profession of pharmacy. In June, the School conducted a series of Phar macyCamps, one at each of the three campuses.We sawa significant bump in total registrantswith 25 participating inColumbia, 21 in Springfield, and 75 inKansas City. Students engaged inmany different activities, interacted withmultiple staff and faculty, and discussed diverse opportunities within the pharmacy professionwith various alumni. As the numbers of Pharmacy Camp attendees grow, we hope for and anticipate an increase in pharmacy school applicants and enrollment. The School remains committed to innovation as relatedprograms help sculpt the future of healthcare and ultimately improve lives. The UMKC School of Pharmacy Pre-doctoral Research Fellowship grew out of the conviction from Dean Russ Melchert that PharmD students and pharmaceutical re searchers greatly benefit from their interactions in a research environment. DeanMelchert believes that pharmacists are uniquely equipped to address unanswered questions inhumanhealth and our health care system, and the pre-doctoral fellowship is aimed at preparingmore pharmacists for research careers. Funded in part by donations fromUMKC Pharmacy alumni, the program is currently hosting four students from across the program as fellows in laboratories located on the Kansas City campus. These students

are working on projects as diverse as cancer therapeutics and novel printed stents for treating cardiovascular disease. From the perspective of research ers, the fellowships enable PharmD students not only to be exposed to the rigors of research, but also to the type of lateral and critical thinking that is useful for all parts of their careerwhether in community pharmacy, clinical research or regulatory agencies. “We want to enable the kind of learning that comes from engaging with difficult problems in a collaborative research setting. The fellows can then see how their training in the PharmDprogramenables themto have a place in thewide ecosystemof pharmaceutical sciences research,” saidDr. Gerald Wyckoff, Director of Research and Graduate Studies. Over the next fewyears, the fellowship programwill expand the number of fellowships awarded each year. This will enable positions on each campus to allow fellows to interact with one another, Doctor of Philosophy students and basic sciences researchers in the program, and fellowPharmDstudents will benefit fromhearing about the research being performed by their peers. We clearly acknowledge that practicewill evolve in response to advancements as well as the current environment, so we strive to provide a contemporary curriculum. Several members of our faculty attended institutes aimed to advance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as well as strengthen digital health concepts inpharmacy programs andpractice. In addition, the Future Trends Task Force continues its work to ensure curricular offerings align with workforce needs. Four prominent themes recently identified include digital health, biosimilars, medical cannabis and specialty pharmacy. The depth and breadth of topics taught were investigated and recommenda tions for curricular change communicated. We look forward to enhancing the existing curriculum based on the timely recommendations from this integral task force. With time, administrative change is inevitable. Dr. Roger Sommi, Asso ciate Dean for the UMKC School of Pharmacy at MU, will retire this fall. Hewill step away fromhis current administrative position at the end of July. Following a national search, we are pleased to announce that Dr. EricaOttis has accepted the position of Associate Dean at MU. Dr. Ottis joined the School in 2009 following completion of a Pharmacy Practice residency at RegionalMedical Center atMemphis inMemphis, Tennessee.We embrace this change in leadership and look forward to new beginnings and growth at MU, as well as at all our campuses.

THE LEADING VOICE FOR THE MISSOURI PHARMACIST | MoRx.com 27