PharmPath program attracts future pharmacists from high school

The University of Toronto has launched a new PharmPath program to inspire high-school students to become pharmacists by offering interactive information about the profession. They hope it will encourage more students—especially Black and Indigenous students, who are underrepresented among pharmacy students—to consider pharmacy as their future career. “There are strong historical reasons why some communities mistrust the health system, and we recognize that if the profession better represents the population overall, it will serve the community better,” Sandra Bjelajac Mejia, an assistant professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, said in a press release. “Pharmacists need to have the cultural competency to serve their diverse patient communities and provide the best possible patient care.”She developed PharmPath with Lachmi Singh, director of education programs and administrative services and director of equity, diversity and inclusion. Read: Finding their own inspiration: Student association at the University of Toronto profiles Black pharmacistsThe program includes videos of diverse pharmacists and students explaining why they chose the career, and challenges they’ve had to handle. “There’s something about being able to see representation and hearing someone’s story and making that connection with your own experience,” says Singh. “Being able to see that someone with similar experiences to you has gone through this path and is now sharing their experiences helps to show that this path is also open to you.”It also includes virtual scenarios that students can try out, with diverse pharmacists in the simulations working with clients on common needs such as vaccinations, sexual health, and sports injuries. In March, the school will host a live experience where students can try out practice experiences and activities that pharmacy staff would do, meet pharmacists and pharmacy students, and see the campus. “We all got started in pharmacy because someone introduced us to the idea or showed us something that sparked an interest in the profession,” says Mejia. “We’re hoping that when the students come for a day and actually see people in action, they will be inspired by what they see and the impact they can have.”The University’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine also does outreach to high school students with the aim of improving diversity. It has a four-week-long summer mentorship program for students with Indigenous or African ancestry and a summer STEAM Design program for students from underrepresented groups in health sciences. Read: Ontario to create $25M Black health hub in Peel Region

PharmPath program attracts future pharmacists from high school

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