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NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION, 8/19/23

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Pharmacy School Scholarships/Pharmacy Tech also– through GoodRX, Apply now.

GoodRx Pharmacy Scholarship Opportunities for 10 individuals!

  • This year’s scholarship application window opened on May 16, 2022. The scholarship, now known as the GoodRx Helps Equity in Pharmacy Scholarship, provides a $5,000 award to 10 pharmacy students, pharmacy technician students, or recently certified technicians who are committed to improving pharmacy practice and patient care.
  • Applications for this year’sGoodRx Helps Equity in Pharmacy Scholarship opened on May 16, 2022. Learn more about this scholarship opportunity and hear from past winner Corian Hess.

About the GoodRx Pharmacy Innovation Scholarship

The GoodRx Helps Equity in Pharmacy Scholarship provides financial help to current pharmacy students or recent graduates with a passion for advocating for the pharmacy profession. The scholarship recognizes that pharmacists are often the first touchpoint for patients accessing the healthcare system. They understand patients’ needs and challenges but are often undervalued.

The scholarship rewards individuals with innovative concepts to improve current pharmacy practices and patient care. Scholarships of $5,000 are awarded to 10 applicants each year.

Applicants must:

  • Self-identify as a person from an underrepresented population in the healthcare field

AND   

  • Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent)

Applicants should also be:

  • Enrolled (in at least their first year) in a pharmacy doctorate program at a college of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)

OR 

  • Currently enrolled in a pharmacy technician program 

OR 

  • Recipients of a pharmacy technician certification (CPhT) through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) within 6 months of the scholarship application deadline

Applications will be accepted from May 16 to June 27, 2022. Winners will be announced on July 25, 2022.

Meet 2019 scholarship recipient Corian Hess

Corian Hess was a winner of the 2019 scholarship. Corian is currently a student in her third year at the University of Buffalo’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. She won the scholarship during the first year of her program.

Corian currently works with Buffalo Medical Group as an ambulatory care pharmacy intern, where the clinical pharmacy team supports patients with diabetes. Corian helps patients to better manage their disease through efforts like starting an insulin pump, continuously monitoring glucose, and collaborating to bolster medication adherence.

Corian had initially planned to study childhood education, then changed her career path. She knew she was interested in the sciences and healthcare. She was a surgery scheduler, home health aide, and sleep technician before finding her niche in pharmacy. A conversation with her personal pharmacist strengthened her resolve, and she realized she already possessed ‌the skills needed to succeed in pharmacy — specifically time management and organization.

 

Applying for the scholarship

An email on the scholarship piqued Corian’s interest while she was in her first year of pharmacy school. At that time, she worked in a community pharmacy setting at a Sam’s Club. For the scholarship, she was asked to write about an innovative business idea that could improve pharmacy. Corian met with her pharmacy manager and came up with a concept that addressed convenience for patients while encouraging them to fill prescriptions at a local pharmacy.

Corian noticed that insurance providers seemed to encourage patients to use a preferred mail-order pharmacy service, rather than filling their prescriptions at local pharmacies. She wanted to help community pharmacists get creative with insurance requirements. To encourage patients to fill their prescriptions at local pharmacies, she came up with an Instacart-type idea to make it easier for them to get their prescriptions without going into the pharmacy or using their mail-order insurance.

Reflecting ‌on her concept, Corian notes that the COVID-19 pandemic made her idea a reality. Many retail pharmacies are now offering home delivery options, and GoodRx Gold is an affordable home delivery option for patients without insurance.

How the scholarship helped Corian

Corian returned to college after entering the workforce, so she was a bit older than the traditional college student. She has additional responsibilities, like mortgage payments, that students straight out of high school might not. The scholarship allowed her to work fewer hours while she focused on her education.

Getting the initial scholarship also boosted her confidence to apply for and receive more scholarships. She believed that her ideas had merit and felt empowered to voice them.

Future plans

Corian is considering academia, completing a residency, or working in ambulatory care after finishing school. She served as the student government president at the University of Buffalo and realized she ‌enjoyed working with students.

She’d like to see more innovation that helps rural patients. They often don’t have convenient access to pharmacies and healthcare. Bridging that gap would bring her professional satisfaction. She works remotely but can help patients who might otherwise have to wait for an appointment. Patients are often unaware that they can reach out to their pharmacist and receive a faster answer to their questions.

Advice for fellow pharmacy students

In closing, Corian has this advice for fellow students:  “Don’t be afraid to take chances. It gets messy and hard. You’ll second guess yourself and think it might not be meant for you. You’ll have disappointments, but trudge through with a positive mindset even on your hard days. There is an end in sight. Remember why you chose your journey. At the end of the day, you might be impacting someone else’s life. It’s a hard program. If it were easy, I guess everyone would do it!”

The bottom line

If you are a current pharmacy student, pharmacy technician student, or recently certified technician, consider applying for the GoodRx Helps Equity in Pharmacy Scholarship. The scholarship application window opened on May 16, 2022. And congratulations to one of our 2019 scholarship recipients, Corian Hess!

 

Apply today    More info on Pharmacy Scholarships at: https://www.goodrx.com/hcp/pharmacists/goodrx-helps-pharmacy-scholarship-corian-hess