Student Mentors for Diversity in Pharmacy sets record

On Saturday, a record-setting number of students finished the college's Student Mentors for Diversity in Pharmacy (SMDP) program, a mentoring program designed to empower and support high school and college aged students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing pharmacy.

MUSC pharmacy students serve as mentors in the program and guide the mentees through the program while offering advice from their own pharmacy experience. The program ran from January to April, meeting as a large group once a month and covering a variety of pharmacy-related topics.

This year, a cohort of 43 mentees successfully completed the program, which was led by student directors Ethan Fannin, P1, Kailani Jackson, P3, and Saleema El-Amin, P3. The cohort had an induction ceremony on January 20, 2024, and then participated in a monthly series of engaging workshops, seminars, and professional development activities designed to help students with the skill and knowledge needed to stand out when applying to graduate-level health professions programs.

MUSC’s SMDP was launched in 2021 and has grown steadily and substantially under the direction of Madison Riley Protzman, marketing and student recruitment specialist for the MUSC College of Pharmacy.

This year's cohort of participants in the Student Mentors for Diversity in Pharmacy program.