Pinning Ceremony Represents Next Step in Education for College of Pharmacy Class of 2024
| UAMS College of Pharmacy third-year students in Little Rock and Fayetteville received pins at a joint ceremony this month marking an important milestone — their transition to patient care.
Each student received a pin like this one for their white coats.Evan Lewis
A total of 78 students, with 59 in Little Rock and 19 in Fayetteville, participated in the March 10 ceremony, held at both the UAMS Little Rock campus and UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. The annual tradition marks the end of in-class instruction for pharmacy students.
Dean Cindy Stowe, Pharm.D., welcomed and congratulated students, noting that this was the first pinning ceremony held without masks since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These are really important events to celebrate transitions and embrace the next phase of your education,” Stowe said. “I happen to believe that one of the best parts of this program is the time you get to spend out in practice, making a difference for your patients. Good luck, and we enjoy watching what you get to do.”
As upcoming fourth-year students, the Class of 2024 will begin their advanced pharmacy practice experiences, where they will pair their knowledge and skills with hands-on experience through various types of patient care.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled we are, the faculty, staff and the student ambassadors who worked hard to make this celebration for you, as you finish your didactic curriculum and progress to experiential and direct patient care,” said Ashok Philip, Ph.D., associate dean of student services.
Third-year pharmacy student Austin Richards grins as he receives his pin from Dean Cindy Stowe, Pharm.D., and John Vinson, Pharm.D.Evan Lewis
Fourth-year pharmacy student Lindsey Blagg served as emcee. Philip read the names of each student as they stepped on stage to receive small envelopes containing their commemorative pin.
The Arkansas Pharmacists Association sponsored this year’s ceremony. CEO John Vinson, Pharm.D., and president Dylan Jones, Pharm.D., welcomed students and presented pins in Little Rock and Fayetteville, respectively. Both are College of Pharmacy alumni.
Taylor McClanahan, Pharm.D., MPH, COP ’22, a PGY-1 pharmacy resident at UAMS Medical Center, served as the keynote speaker. She offered advice to students about effectively managing their time in their last year of pharmacy school, both personally and professionally.
“You’re transitioning into the real world of pharmacy practice, and you’ll be challenged to apply everything that you’ve learned over the past three years during this time,” McClanahan said.
McClanahan introduced a patient case as an example: herself, as a fourth-year pharmacy student on rotation. She spoke of the challenges of splitting time between studying, answering questions in clinic and keeping up with friends and family — not to mention sleeping and eating well.
Keynote speaker Taylor McClanahan, Pharm.D., COP ’22, advised students to focus on self-care and be open to opportunities in their fourth year.Evan Lewis
So, she came up with a three-part diagnosis for her example patient: focus on self-care, take the initiative to learn and be open to the diversity of career opportunities in pharmacy.
“Self-care is not selfish,” McClanahan said, using the example of airlines telling passengers to put on their own oxygen mask in an emergency before helping others. “You must be able to put your well-being before anyone else, before you can successfully take care of others.”
McClanahan emphasized that students should take advantage of every resource, including research materials, faculty and preceptors before they graduate. That also includes new experiences, which might open doors to careers students hadn’t thought possible.
“This is the time to expose yourself to as many learning opportunities as possible,” McClanahan said. “Life really does have a funny way of placing you in the right situations at the right time, with the people that might change your life. I encourage you to be present at every step of the way and fully embrace the process. Trust that what’s for you is for you.”
College of Pharmacy Class of 2024
| Lauren Abbott
Fatimah Al-Doori Joel Araujo Mason Archer Daniel Armstrong Whitney Austin Emily Bain Lauren Bellamy Andrew Betts Alanna Bramwell Joseph Brill Jared Bristow Jocelyn Brown Kara Burchfield Kimberly Byrd-Dixon Gracen Caraway Emily Carter Sarah Coffman Jeffery Davis Darshankumar Desai Ravyn Faulkner Morgan Gilley Madeline Griffin Alexandra Gusdorf Ashton Hale Victoria Hardin Story Hart Alan Herrera-Rueda Victoria Hoggard Lauren Jacobs Alexis Jacobus Hannah Johnson Ginna Klimova Allison Knott Jenni Langley Zoe Ledbetter Alexis Ludwig Alexis Magana DeAnna Massey
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Hannah McAllister
Kennede McLeroy-Charles Kallie Mendenhall Tiara Mickens Rachael Murray Maria Neal Emery Parker Kendall Perkins Hannah Williams Danielle Prince Barry Powers Mary Prosser Olivia Pugh Jazlyn Purnell Lauren Romo Benjamin Quattlebaum Alexa Ramick Mary Kate Record Austin Richards Wayne Roland Amanda Russell Lauren Saulsbery Mary Rose Siebenmorgen Katherine Snider Austin Stanage Jacob Stewart Emily Stover Mackenzie Suggs Phi Tang Victoria Tang Payton Davis Ngoc Tran Anh Vu Rachel Ward Stephanie White Connor White Kaitlyn Williams Jasmine Wilson Dylan Yowell
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