The Pathways and Recruitment Opportunities for Pharmacy Exploration and Learning (PROPEL) builds training pathways to careers that address rural and urban pharmacy needs.
PROPEL Fall 2025 Southeast Ohio-Service Learning Experience
Rising P2 and P3 students are invited to apply for the inaugural PROPEL Service-Learning Trip to Southeast Ohio during Fall Break 2025. As part of this immersive experience, students will engage with pharmacists in learning about rural healthcare, complete service activities at several practice sites, and experience the local area and history of Appalachia. Additional program details include:
- Hybrid course during the first 7-weeks of AU25 semester for elective credit
- Fall Break Travel dates: depart Thurs. 10/16 morning and return Sat. 10/18 afternoon
- All travel will occur as a group in passenger vans
- Hotel lodging will be in shared double rooms
- All trip arrangements & logistics will be made for travelers
- All trip expenses (transportation, lodging, food, and group activities) will be covered
Students are encouraged to watch the Info Session to learn more program details and apply by 11:59pm on Sunday, July 20. The application includes (5) questions with responses of 250 words or less:
- What have you learned from engaging in previous community service and/or volunteer work?
- What do you hope to gain from this experience, both personally and professionally?
- How do you think this experience might challenge and/or expand your perceptions of rural communities?
- What strategies do you use to adapt to challenges or setbacks when you're part of a team?
- What role do you believe pharmacists can play in addressing social, economic, and health challenges in Appalachia?
Application questions? Reach out to Polly Carlson, carlson.616@osu.edu.
PROPEL is a project focused on improving access to pharmacy services in rural and urban Ohio communities where geographic, socioeconomic and other factors contribute to inadequate access to health services.
Funded by the McKesson Foundation and The Ohio State University from 2025-2028, the PROPEL project will involve education and corporate and non-profit partners throughout the state to strengthen its impact.
PROPEL Goals
The main goals of the PROPEL project are:
- Increase awareness of career opportunities in pharmacy among youth in grades 6-12
- Expand student pathways to a degree in pharmacy through partnerships with educational institutions that offer prerequisite degrees or certificates.
- Improve pharmacy graduates’ readiness to provide care in Ohio’s rural and urban communities by developing training that familiarizes students with local culture and history, factors that contribute to gaps and deficiencies in health care access and strategies to address and improve outcomes.
Get involved with PROPEL
Do you share our passion for pharmacy, workforce development, and or improving access to medical care for rural or urban communities?
We would like to explore ways we could work with you to increase awareness of the many rewarding career opportunities in pharmacy and create supportive pathways to achieving students’ career goals.
If you are a teacher, guidance counselor, education administrator, youth-serving organization, college or university, or health care service provider, we welcome a conversation about your goals and how they may intersect with the PROPEL project initiatives.
Contact Us
Leslie Dybiec, Program Manager