Jenna is a member of the inaugural class in Vermont, and like many of her fellow students, she wasted little time getting involved (and, in some cases, helping form) student clubs and organizations. Last year she was president of the Vermont Campus chapter of APhA-ASP, in addition to serving as the secretary for Colleges Against Cancer. Earlier this year she helped launch a student chapter for the Society of Health System Pharmacists.

These experiences, combined with her passion for pharmacy, no doubt caught the attention of the team at Johns Hopkins. For Jenna, the experience was everything she hoped it would be and more. “I worked for 12 weeks in the Children’s Center. I went on rounds each day with clinical pharmacists. I participated in journal clubs. I even scrubbed in on eight different types of surgery. It was awesome,” she said.

As part of the program, each student is assigned a project at the beginning of the internship and is

The PulseNews from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences March 2012

They didn’t really plan it this way, but Alyson and Kelsey Johnson are glad to be playing next to each other again. The sisters from Malone, New York (one hour west of Plattsburgh) have proven to be valuable contributors to the ACPHS women’s basketball team, who won their second straight Hudson Valley Athletic Conference Championship this year. But it almost didn’t happen at all.

When Alyson was a senior in high school, she planned to be a nurse practitioner, just like her mother. She applied to five nursing programs, and then changed directions late in the application process after working in a pharmacy as part of the New Visions program. She enrolled at ACPHS the following fall.

The twist to the story is that pharmacy is the path that Kelsey, who is two years younger than Alyson, had chosen for herself as far back as eighth grade.

Most students tend to start seriously thinking about a summer internship during their winter break, or if they are really organized, in the fall. Jenna Pacheco, a P3 student on the Vermont Campus, began planning her internship at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in her freshman year of college.

Her patience and planning paid off six years later when she received an internship at Johns Hopkins this past summer. Johns

Hopkins is widely considered to be the most competitive pharmacy internship program in the country, and with just 16 students selected last year from more than 300 applicants, it’s easy to understand why.

Internship Opens Doors in Pediatric Pharmacy

“Everyone says, ‘Oh, Kelsey followed in your footsteps,’ when they find out that we go to the same school,” says Alyson. “But the truth is that Kelsey decided on a career in pharmacy long before I did. It sounds strange because I’m older, but I followed in her footsteps.”

Kelsey was surprised to learn of her sister’s decision to pursue pharmacy, but she also knew that having “Aly” (Allie) at ACPHS would give her a unique

Fifth-year student Dave Bombard likes to play music. A lot. He started getting serious about music when he was a junior in high school, but soon he was off to ACPHS to follow the same path as his parents, both of whom are pharmacists and ACPHS graduates. But his passion for music has continued throughout college and, if anything, grown stronger.

“I formed a band with some friends from high school after my first year at ACPHS, and we wanted to tour,” says Dave, who plays drums. So he did what anyone else would do in his position. He booked a summer tour that stretched from New York to California. “Putting that first tour together was a lot of studying during the week, and a lot of nights with no sleep. But I loved it. I had fun doing it.”

The result of those efforts was a 28 show tour for his three-piece band Still Rings True (the name comes from a lyric in the song “Nebraska Bricks” by the band Saves the Day). From those simple beginnings, the group has begun to taste some real success.

Still Rings True is a descendant of classic punk and hardcore bands like The Clash and Operation Ivy, with lyrics that focus on social and political issues. In June 2011, the band released their second full length CD, and their first for label Third Time Lucky Rekords of Harrisburg, PA. The album is called Tear Down

Sister Act Helps Lead Team to Championship

Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

Global Experiences: Central America 2

Jenna interned at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

Sisters Alyson (left) and Kelsey Johnson were the top two scorers on this year’s ACPHS Women’s basketball team.

Still Rings True (left to right): Leo LaMay, Josh Snyder, and ACPHS fifth-year student Dave Bombard.

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On a Mission

2 The Pulse March 2012

“If you want proof that our students are working to make the world a better

place, then look no further than the 16 students and one recent ACPHS

graduate who went on a medical mission to Belize this past January. Each

day these students showed their generosity, dedication, and perpetual

good cheer as they worked in village clinics, made medical home visits,

taught in a school, and worked in a parking lot outside a hospital. When

not working, the students remained immersed in Belizean culture by

living with host families who included the students in their daily lives and

nightly celebrations. ” – Associate Professor Kevin Hickey

The GreatOutdoors

Nine members of the Outdoors Club plus Associate Professor Mike Raley went on a 16 day trip to Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala over the winter break (see map below for trip itinerary). They visited ancient Mayan ruins, went caving, and even hiked up a volcano.

March 2012 The Pulse 3

required to present their work to the Department of Pharmacy before they leave. Jenna’s project involved a review of the pediatric drug boxes that are kept on hand for emergencies. “The contents of the boxes needed to be updated to reflect the most current guidelines, so I helped to revise that information,” said Jenna. “I also worked on reorganizing the contents of the boxes so that key items could be found more quickly.”

Judging from the feedback, she made a positive impression on the staff. “My colleagues at Johns Hopkins made it a point to

the Walls, and the reviews have been impressive.

The UK alternative music web site Alter the Press gave the record a five star review (out of five), writing that, “The world needs bands that are driven by more than just fame and glory, and although they are not alone, Still Rings True is just such a band.”

On the basis of that review, the band was contacted by a concert promoter and invited to do a European tour this summer. But before Dave could agree to do the tour, he had to make sure

perspective on both the school and the pharmacy program. Alyson’s positive experience at the College confirmed Kelsey’s plans, and she joined her sister two years later.

Like many students, Alyson decided to concentrate on her studies during her first two years, and as a result, basketball was placed on the backburner. When Kelsey arrived in fall 2010 and declared her intent to play, Alyson reconsidered. “I missed basketball, but what it really came down to was that I couldn’t imagine sitting in the bleachers watching Kelsey play, knowing I could be out there, too.”

So in her third year, Alyson laced up her sneakers and went on the court again with her younger sister. In their first year together (2010-11), the girls helped lead the Panthers to a Hudson Valley Athletic Conference title. It was reminiscent of high school when the two were members of a Malone team that won the Class A State Championship.

“We’ve played together since third and fifth grade. We both think the same and know the other’s mindset. After all these years, we just play really well together,” says Kelsey. That’s an understatement. Alyson led the team, averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Kelsey finished just behind at 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

And the good news for ACPHS hoops fans is that there is another Johnson on the way. Younger brother Alex Johnson is a sophomore in high school, and he is already making plans to attend ACPHS, and of course, play basketball.

it would not disrupt his upcoming sixth year rotations. He reached out to the Division of Experiential Education and asked to have the first module off, and they were able to accommodate his request. So after school ends in May, Dave and his bandmates will head to Europe for a 12-country, 33-day tour consisting of 30 shows.

When asked how he keeps up with his studies despite a schedule that saw the band play 134 shows last year, he gives a two word reply – flash cards. “Almost every test I take

I make a couple of hundred flash cards. Most of the time that we’re traveling to a show I’m reading index cards or flipping through slides.” He also works for about a month each summer at a Walmart pharmacy back home in Watertown, NY. The rest of the time he’s doing the “band thing.”

“When people see me play and find out I’m a pharmacy student, they give me a look like ‘that’s weird.’ But I like that it’s two very different sides. My mom calls me her ‘rock star pharmacist.’”

e-mail me over the summer to tell me how well she was doing,” said Joanna Schwartz, Assistant Professor on the Vermont Campus. “As the first ACPHS student to ever do this internship, she represented the College very well.”

Jenna has decided to build from that experience, and along with Associate Professor and pediatric pharmacist Brian Cowles, has started a pediatric pharmacy group on campus. Looking ahead, she has already targeted the hospitals where she would like to do her first and second year residencies after graduation. For anyone who knows Jenna, that should come as no surprise.

An example of a pediatric drug box before (top) and after (bottom) Jenna reorganized it.

Dave Bombard will be changing out of his white coat when he tours Europe this summer with his band.

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The ACPHS Women’s Basketball Team defeated St. Joseph’s 67-48 to win their second consecutive HVWAC Championship.

Scholarships - $20M

Library renovations - $11.2M

Research labs and equipment - $7.5M

ACPHS Academy - $2M

Athletics field - $2M

In the fall of 2011, the College launched its Moving Forward Capital Campaign. The Campaign’s objective is to raise $50 million to support a variety of important student initiatives at the school. Below is a breakdown of where the monies raised are being targeted.

Faculty endowed chairs and technology needs - $4M

Student event fund and global experiences - $3.3M

ACPHS held its second annual Research Forum on Saturday, January 21. Described by President Gozzo as “a day of celebration,” the event featured more than 40 oral and poster presentations from faculty across multiple departments and on both campuses. Areas of focus included: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics; Oncology; Health Outcomes and Environmental Health; and Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Disorders. More than 150 students are actively involved in research at the College.

Students Scott Beeman (Albany Campus) and Regina Lannigan (Vermont Campus) were each awarded scholarships by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation. A total of just 58 pharmacy students nationwide (out 950 applicants) received scholarships, which ranged in value from $3,000 to $5,000. The scholarships recognize students who advance pharmacy education and the profession of pharmacy.

Jeffrey Brewer, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and preceptor for the Ambulatory Care/Family Practice APPE at Albany Family Practice Group, was named Preceptor of the Year by the Division of Experiential Education. In the words of one of his students: “Dr. Brewer’s passion for pharmacy is very noticeable, and it is something that I feel I have taken away from spending the rotation with him. He cares about

advancing the profession, but always keeps the patient’s best interest at heart. He has been an amazing mentor and life coach.”

The New York State Education Department recently approved the addition of three concentrations for students in the Bachelor’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences program at ACPHS. The three concentrations are: Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, and Pharmaceutical Marketing and Regulatory Science. Mike Raley, Director of the Pharmaceutical Sciences program, says, “All students in the program will now be required to concentrate in one of these three areas. This approach will benefit students by allowing them to better tailor their studies to those areas of greatest interest to them.”

Professor Ken Blume of the Department of Humanities and Communication published the “Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Maritime Industry,” in December 2011. According to Scarecrow Press, publishers of the book, it provides “a convenient survey of this important industry from the colonial period to the present day. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the maritime industry in the United States.”

ACPHS students and faculty from the Vermont Campus, along with members of Vermont’s professional pharmacy associations, visited the State House in Montpelier on January 19 to meet with state legislators and discuss important issues related to the practice of pharmacy. In acknowledgement of their efforts and the important

roles played by pharmacists, Governor Peter Shumlin issued a proclamation declaring the day “Pharmacist Day” in Vermont. The New York State Pharmacy Legislative Day will take place on Tuesday, April 3.

4 The Pulse March 2012

Spring CalendarMarch March 12-16 - Spring Break March 15-16, Continuing Education Event: Pharmacy Practice Institute

April April 1 - Spring Fling Carnival at Parson’s Child and

Family Center April 3 - Pharmacy Legislative Day April 13-14 - Relay for Life April 14 - The Annual Dance Show April 20 - SpringFest April 22 - Continuing Education Event: The Barbara M. DiLascia Lecture Series - Men’s and

Women’s Health Symposium April 27 - Classes End April 30-May 4 - Final Examinations

May May 12 - Commencement May 14-18 - Continuing Education Event: NYS Board Review

Checking The PulseA roundup of ACPHS news and notes

Look for Library Survey on March 19

As part of a continuing effort to improve services, the Library and Information Commons will be sending out an e-mail on March 19 inviting all ACPHS students, faculty, and staff to complete an online survey designed to assess the quality of library services. The LibQUAL+ survey, developed by the Association of Research

Libraries (ARL), will provide ACPHS library users the opportunity to evaluate library collections, services, access, and space. This input will help planning for the future.

www.facebook.com/acphs

Congratulations to John Lyons, Adam Burman, and Jennifer Lamb (pictured here from left to right with pharmacy lab instructors Lee Anna Obos and Stephanie Young) – winners of the Student Pharmacist Compounding Competition. Next stop: Gainesville, Florida where they will represent the College in the national competition this March 18-19.