And last week, Hannah Kim, Pharm. D., the national society s pharmacy student forum director, was on campus, laden with boxes of literature to welcome the students into the organization and tell them about the information and resources at their disposal. These students should be proud of their accomplishment, Kim said. It s not easy starting a student society. D. program for a four-year program that follows three years of undergraduate study.
Small classes translate into heightened competition for members among the student groups.
Burleson credits an increased interest among students in the practice of pharmacy in the clinical environment. The national professional society represents pharmacists who practice in health systems, Kim said. Many of them work in hospital settings. The ASHP provides continuing education for its pharmacist members, publishes practice standards that foster improvements in pharmacy practice and patient care, and monitors and lobbies for legislation that affects the practice of pharmacy. The society boasts a national membership of 30,000 and a student forum membership of 5,500.