The pinning ceremony is a tradition in many health science colleges to mark the completion of educational requirements as students advance into experiential rotations or professional practice.
As student pharmacists progress from the third to fourth year of professional studies, they transition from classroom-based learning to a year of immersive, hands-on rotations in various fields and specialties of pharmacy.
Though pinning has not been our tradition in the past, this year, UofSC College of Pharmacy leadership thought it a fitting way to recognize our third-year pharmacy students, who have successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are proud to begin a new tradition with this pinning ceremony for the Class of 2022,” says College of Pharmacy Dean Stephen J. Cutler, Ph.D. “They have persevered through an unprecedented time in the history of mankind. Despite the pandemic, they successfully adapted and transformed in their personal and professional development.”
The Class of 2022 is excited to put what they have learned through their coursework into practice. Because of the many connections our college has established through the Palmetto Experiential Education Partnership, we are able to offer rotations at more than 600 sites, on both a national and international scale.
Third-year pharmacy student Hirali Patel, of Barnwell, South Carolina, is most excited for her month-long rotation in Lanai, Hawaii, in August. Patel, who will work in retail pharmacy on the island, looks forward to the experience both on- and off-the-clock.
“Our preceptor provides us housing, bikes and snorkeling gear. I’m excited to go on rotation, explore and learn a lot about the Hawaiian culture.”
Sophie Robinson, who is from the Washington D.C. area, prioritized getting a broad range of experiences in locations across the country to help her determine what she would like to do after graduation.
“I’m going to Colorado, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland,” says Robinson. “I’m most excited for my first rotation in Colorado with the Department of Veterans Affairs. I’m looking forward to interacting with patients more than I do in my retail job.”
I’m trying to get a feel for what it is to work with rural populations in different parts of the country and in different types of settings.
Mide Olorunfemi Pharm.D. Candidate, Class of 2022
Mide Olorunfemi selected rotations primarily in rural locations in South Carolina, across the U.S. and in Uganda. She is most excited to go to Alaska and work at the Indian Health Services clinic in Ketchikan.
“I’m very interested in working with underserved populations, so I think it’s the perfect experience for me. I’m trying to get a feel for what it is to work with rural populations in different parts of the country and in different types of settings,” she says. “With rotations, it’s almost like having a full-time job, so it’s going to help me prepare for life after graduation.”
Knowing that he would like to go into clinical pharmacy, Michael Deaney selected rotations that would give him exposure to a variety of specialties, from pediatrics and oncology to infectious diseases. He is most looking forward to his rotation in Charleston, South Carolina, in October where he will work in HIV outpatient ambulatory care.
“It’s a great opportunity to work with underserved populations and get to make a meaningful difference,” says Deaney.