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This year the College of Pharmacy debuted a mentorship program, which pairs a first or second year pharmacy student to a practicing pharmacist.

The goal is “to develop a mutually beneficial relationship through communication and meeting over the course of the school year and beyond if desired,” explains Adam Somers, President of the Dalhousie University College of Pharmacy Alumni Division (DUCPAD).

In the past, informal mentoring was available, but the idea for a more mediated system was “modeled after a similar program at the Dentistry school,” says Adam.

The student and practicing pharmacist are introduced through email, and encouraged to talk on the phone and meet in person a few times throughout the year.

For this first year of the program, pharmacist mentors were chosen based on their experiences as a pharmacist and their previous involvement at the college. Interested “students filled out an application form on what they are looking for in a mentor and why they would like to participate in the program,” Adam explains.

Kelly Foster and Mia Losier are a mentor/mentee pair that took part in the pilot.

Kelly has been a pharmacist in the community and in a hospital setting and currently works at the IWK. “I really love getting connected with students and knowing what’s going on at Dal because I enjoyed my time so much there,” says Kelly. “I’m just interested in pharmacy in general so I like to talk to people about what they want to do and why they got into pharmacy.”

“The student benefits from being able to discuss with a practicing pharmacist a variety of things including the profession, school, work-life balance and overall experiences,” says Adam. “This also helps the student develop connections within the profession.”

The flexibility of the mentorship program allows for each mentor/mentee pair to do what works best for them. “I think every mentor and mentee can have their own type of relationship, whether that be just emailing back in forth or meeting in person,” says Kelly.

Having someone to talk to in the Pharmacy community can be especially helpful for a student who doesn’t know that much about what actually practicing pharmacy will look like.

“I have pharmacists in my family and I used their knowledge and experience all the time and I’ve found that so valuable. For people who don’t have that I want to be there for them to answer questions or find them connections,” says Kelly.

Mia was drawn to the program to learn more about the pharmacy world she is entering in to, “I’m going to work in rotations this summer but I’ve never worked in a pharmacy before so I just wanted to get as much information as I could.”

Both Mia and Kelly would recommend the mentorship program to other pharmacy students and professionals. “It never hurts to know someone else in pharmacy –  to hear their stories and what they know. Any student can benefit from this experience,” says Kelly.

“I’ve learned so much from Kelly. She’s really encouraged me to get involved more in the pharmacy world,” added Mia.

Mia and Kelly plan to keep in contact after this year. “We’re definitely going to stay in touch”, says Kelly. “We’ll be working on a committee together soon!”

Incoming and continuing pharmacy students interested in the program can get involved in the mentorship program by applying once classes commence in September.