Calling all career mentors

“…and that’s when I realized there was so much more to pharmacy than I thought.”

Ask pharmacy alumni how they got into their careers, and at some point you’ll probably hear something like the above. They entered pharmacy school with one idea about the profession, connected with a mentor who opened their eyes to unconsidered possibilities, and their lives were changed forever.

Or maybe you’ll hear “I owe a lot of my success to so-and-so, who kind of took me under his/her wing.” These responses are so common it makes you wonder if they’re passing around talking points. But they’re not. The pharmacy community is a select, tight-knit group in which “passing it along” and “giving back to the profession” are hard-wired.

The MUSC College of Pharmacy facilitates those connections in many ways, including a pharmacy career mentor program that pairs alumni with students. Students have the opportunity to review the career mentor database to identify:

·         pharmacists to interview about their career path

·         pharmacists they can shadow

·         potential speakers at student organization meetings

Mentors have the option of doing a deeper dive, in which they meet virtually or in-person with their mentee once a semester and do things like review CVs and letters of intent, discuss career exploration activities, and potential next steps.

“The career mentoring program is a great opportunity for students and alumni to connect on a very meaningful level,” said Cathy Worrall, associate dean for students and admissions. “It’s inspiring for the students, gratifying for the alumni, and ultimately beneficial for the profession.”

Alumni interested in career mentoring should contact Cathy Worrall by July 31, 2021 to sign up for 2021-2022.