Rachel Hopper selected for inaugural AACP Community Pharmacy Student Scholar Leaders Program
Rachel Hopper, a third-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) candidate at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, was selected as one of 66 students nationwide to participate in the inaugural American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Academia-Community Transformation (ACT) Collaborative’s Community Pharmacy Student Scholar Leaders Program.
The ACT program will run through spring semester as a series of virtual workshops. Hopper, alongside her program peers, will learn the ins and outs of community pharmacy management from faculty members of accredited pharmacy programs.
“I applied to this program because community pharmacy was my first love in this field,” Hopper said. “My first internship with Kroger sparked that love. Even now, at my current internship at OhioHealth Rehabilitation Hospital, the patient interaction continues to be the highlight of my work.”
With her fourth year of pharmacy school approaching, Hopper is hopeful that her experiences at her internships, the lessons she’ll take from the ACT program this semester and her advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations next year will help her identify which aspects of care she’d like to prioritize after she graduates.
“My favorite part about pharmacy practice is how diverse it is,” Hopper said. “There are so many focuses within community and hospital pharmacy, so I’m both anxious and eager to further my experience in ambulatory care, home infusion, medication safety and much more.”
Not one to shy away from a full schedule, Hopper will also step into the role of teaching assistant for a first-year lab course this semester.
The number of activities filling her planner doesn’t give her much pause. Whether filling prescriptions at OhioHealth, chatting with underclassmen mentees or taking part in new opportunities like this program, Hopper is always wearing her trademark smile and looking ahead with optimism.
“All of my experiences have helped me to grow as a future pharmacist,” she said. “I’m just excited for what comes next and how this opportunity will add to that.”
For those interested in learning more about the ACT Student Scholar Leaders Program, check out AACP’s page here.