Jordan Merritt of Garland was among 26 students from nine states to participate in Harding University College of Pharmacy’s ninth annual Pharmacy Camp in Searcy, Arkansas. College faculty and students partnered with Walgreens to present the camp June 18-23.
As part of the camp, Merritt, a Naaman Forest High School student, explored the field of pharmacy through classes and hands-on activities. Faculty and student counselors led the prospective pharmacy students as they performed pharmaceutical research experiments and shadowed local health care professionals.
“The goal of Pharmacy Camp is to help high school students learn more about the profession with the hope that many will choose to pursue a career in pharmacy,” said Carol Jones, director of admissions for the College of Pharmacy. “Through compounding labs, diabetes and hypertension education and patient counseling, the camp provides students with an opportunity to do many activities a pharmacist does each day.”
According to Jones, pharmacists must be lifelong learners and the weeklong program aims to introduce that idea to students.
“They love to learn new things, and they are interested in finding a career where they can have an impact for good,” Jones said. “The view of the pharmacist changes dramatically — they learn that the pharmacist is a vital member of the health care team. They learn the importance of patient education and counseling, and they grow in their communication skills and empathy.”
Harding University is a private Christian, liberal arts university located in Searcy, Arkansas. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, it is the largest private university in the state. Harding’s student body represents all 50 states and 54 nations and territories. The University offers more than 100 undergraduate majors; graduate and professional degrees at the master’s, specialist and doctoral levels; as well as numerous study abroad opportunities including locations in Australia, Chile, England, France, Greece, Italy and Zambia. For more information, visit www.harding.edu.