Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy students Opal Bacon and Cheyenne Newsome won the clinical skills competition at the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) national meeting last weekend at the New Orleans Downtown Marriott.
The 48-team competition involved writing a pharmaceutical care plan, presenting the case to judges, answering questions to defend their case and a counseling session. It was the first time that a SIUE team participated in the event.
“We are extremely proud of our students, but credit has to go to our faculty for preparing them so well,” said Gireesh Gupchup, dean of the SIUE School of Pharmacy.
“Our ability to work as a team was the reason that we were so successful,” said Newsome, a Belleville native.
The SIUE duo won $750 each, round trip domestic airfare, an iPad mini, Lexicomp (a compendia resource that provides information on drugs and clinical information) subscription for a year and a $175 Amazon gift card to purchase pharmacy reference books. Kroger will provide a $750 grant for SIUE to put on a clinical skills competition on campus during the 2013-14 academic year.
“It was exciting, and we definitely put the SIUE School of Pharmacy on the map with SNPhA nationally,” said Bacon, who is from Decatur.
Newsome also credited SNPhA advisor Dr. Lakesha Butler and the School of Pharmacy faculty. “Dr. Butler’s encouragement and mentoring has been instrumental in my professional development,” Newsome said. “Our curriculum involves many group learning activities, which enhance our abilities to work collaboratively to develop care plans for patients. Each faculty member truly desires to help students achieve success.”
SIUE also captured honorable mention in the Target Business Plan competition. The SIUE team, comprised of Bacon, Emily Donahue and Jessica Kerwin, placed in the top five in a nine-team field and won an additional $250 for the chapter.