“I spent the month of July as a pharmacy fellow for Congressman – and pharmacist – Buddy Carter. I learned so much over my five-week stay on Capitol Hill and I’m truly thankful that I was granted this unique experience."
“My typical day consisted of the basic intern duties such as answering calls and running errands – but I also had the opportunity to assist our Health Legislative Aid with various tasks that related to the profession of pharmacy. The most memorable experience for me was being able to attend the weekly Doctors Caucus meetings, where members of Congress who are also medical professionals come together to discuss ways to improve public health in our country.”
“The UofSC College of Pharmacy does an excellent job at professional development, and it really helped me this summer! To my surprise, there was a lot of ‘customer service’ that goes into working on the Hill. I was even applauded for how well I was able to talk to constituents and handle their concerns and problems that needed our attention. The medical knowledge I’ve gained as a student in the College of Pharmacy, as well as working at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, helped me be an asset to Congressman Carter’s office. I was able to directly apply my experiences with patient care and the health care system to the various health policy issues that we were addressing.”
“I would recommend an internship on Capitol Hill if you’re looking for a future in health policy or profession advocacy. I want to stress that an open mind is key when applying for different offices as health care needs more bipartisanship. Regardless of the member’s political party, at the end of the day, everyone on the Hill is still a human being. You’d be surprised what you can learn when you surround yourself with people whose opinions may differ from that of your own.”
“I loved being surrounded by so much history! I think it’s so important for us as a society to learn from what our country’s past can teach us. I also enjoyed the variety of what the city has to offer. I thought Columbia was big when I moved from my hometown of Florence, but now Columbia seems tiny! You get the big city feel, but all the people are so friendly. The food is also incredible!”
“I believe my internship has really prepared me for a future in the government affairs of pharmacy associations. Lobbyists often get a bad reputation for being too specific and not thinking about the big picture… Now that I’ve been on the big picture side of things, I feel as though I will be more effective at advocating for my patients and my profession through policy-driven, pharmacy-focused initiatives.”
“After I conclude my P3 year, I hope to spend more time in D.C. completing rotations at a few of the pharmacy associations – or even back on the Hill! As a SCPhA junior board member that sits on the House of Delegates Policy Taskforce and serves as a JBM Legislation co-chair, I hope to use my passion for policy to further advocate for my profession on the state level.”
CharLeigh Steverson is a third-year pharmacy student at the UofSC College of Pharmacy. She is originally from Florence, South Carolina. CharLeigh serves as president of the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Kappa Epsilon as well as a student ambassador for the College of Pharmacy.
Topics: Student Experience, Pharm.D. Program