Thursday, July 18
3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Registration Desk Open
Friday, July 19
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Registration Desk Open
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast – Sponsored by Liaison
9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks and Icebreaker
Speakers: Thomas TenHoeve (University of Illinois Chicago); and Steve Stoner (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
Theme: Recruiting from Within
9:30 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
A Tale of Two High School Summer Programs in Pharmacy
Session will review data collected from two high school summer programs aimed at increasing awareness of careers in pharmacy and educational pathways to pharmacy school. Both programs were held at the University of the Pacific and in conjunction with the School of Pharmacy faculty. The distinction between the two is that one was a paid program, costs $3300, the other was held in collaboration with the Upward Bound Program for students enrolled in their program.
Speakers: Caroline Ko (University of the Pacific); Marisella Guerrero (University of the Pacific); and Rae Matsumoto (University of Hawaii Hilo)
9:50 a.m.-10:25 a.m.
Innovative Strategies for Redefining Student Engagement in Admissions
Discover innovative strategies reshaping student engagement and assessment in admissions. This workshop explores the impact of P1-P4 student involvement, going beyond the interview to influence admissions processes and positively shape the program. Learn impactful strategies to enhance and assess sense of belonging, forge relationships with current and prospective students, and improve admissions processes, fostering a thriving community and meaningful connections.
Speakers: Shari McGuire (Campbell University); and Myrah R. Stockdale (Campbell University)
10:25 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Synergizing Health Professions Week: A Guide to Creating Your Own
This session will share how different health professional programs at the University of South Florida partnered to host their own USF Health Professions Week filled with activities to promote healthcare options to their students. Learn what types of sessions were hosted and how the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy used this as an opportunity to stand out by getting in front of more prospective students.
Speakers: Gwen Chretien (University of South Florida); and Ericka Zetz (University of South Florida)
11:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
Break
11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Keynote: Revolutionizing Pharmacy Education: Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Students
Discover transformative strategies in pharmacy education by prioritizing diversity in student recruitment and retention. Tailored for admission and pharmacy school leaders, uncover innovative strategies to attract and support diverse student populations, ensuring a vibrant and inclusive learning environment for future pharmacy professionals.
Moderator: Nate Rickles (University of Connecticut); Speaker: Marlon Fuller (CoolKids.org)
12:30 p.m.-1:40 p.m.
Lunch – Sponsored by Liaison
Theme: Redefining Student Engagement throughout the Admissions Process
1:40 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
You Belong with Me: Creating Community During the Cruel Summer
Have you wondered why do applicants submit deposits at more than one pharmacy school? How does an applicant decide where they ultimately belong? Does it matter what the School does to try to keep applicants? Three PharmD programs will share their process for building belonging and creating community. Session information will include strategies between acceptance and matriculation that are intended to keep students engaged and to foster a sense of community in advance of matriculation.
Speakers: Rocke Demark (Chapman University); Amy Diepenbrock (University of the Incarnate Word); and Krystal Ward (University of New Mexico)
2:15 p.m.-2:35 p.m.
Revolutionizing the Advisor/Advisee Relationship – A Redcoats & Patriots Approach to a Mindful Match
Throughout the admissions process we collect a great deal of information that is most helpful in mindfully matching incoming pharmacy students with faculty advisors. We will share an exciting approach to making a mindful match as well as lessons learned along the way and still learning. This approach, which is also meant to mitigate 'summer melt', has recently been published in the AJPE.
Speaker: Heidi Fuchs (Touro College of Pharmacy)
2:35 p.m.-3:10 p.m.
Enhancing Matriculation by Connecting with Applicants through Common Stressors
Once accepted, admitted students experience excitement but may also feel anxiety about making the right decision, as well as multiple other factors. By identifying these factors and working with them to answer their concerns, pharmacy programs will be able to connect with the students on a more personal basis. This will lead them to commit where their concerns are listened to while feeling a true connection to the program as a member of the family.
Speaker: John D. Roca (University of North Texas)
3:10 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Beverage Break
3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Is Seeing Believing? A Debate on Open-file versus Closed-file Interviews
The Admissions Workshop Advisory Committee has put together another lively and engaging debate this year! Striking a balance that allows for a comprehensive evaluation while maintaining fairness and transparency is essential for creating an inclusive and holistic admission process. Advantages and disadvantages of open-file and closed-file reviews will be explored, aiming to gain a better understanding of their impact on fairness, transparency, and quality of the admissions decision. Let the debate begin!
Moderator: Joel Gonzales (University of California, San Francisco); Speakers: Jeff Bates (Cedarville University); Olivia Buncher (University of Minnesota); Melissa Burmeister (William Carey University); Heidi Fuchs (Touro College of Pharmacy); Nate Rickles (University of Connecticut); and Steve Stoner (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
4:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Trivia: Pharmacy, Recruitment, Admissions, and More!
The AACP staff has put together trivia questions to test your knowledge on a variety of topics to have some fun as we wrap up day 1. Join a team and win a great prize for your table!
Speakers: Katie Bruce (AACP Staff); and Susan Vos (AACP Staff)
5:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
Friday Wrap-up
Speakers: Olivia Buncher (University of Minnesota); and Heidi Fuchs (Touro College of Pharmacy)
Saturday, July 20
7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m.
Breakfast
8:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Welcome Back
Speakers: Joel Gonzales (University of California, San Francisco); and Steve Stoner (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Keynote: Don't Perish on the Job. Lessons from the Trail.
Today's college work environments can evoke an "always on and never caught up" perception, which is a major contributor to job stress and burnout. This keynote presentation addresses that in a dual-faceted approach that examines both organization and personal responsibilities. Participants will learn how colleges can create a healthier work environment and how individuals can utilize interesting and research-based psychological principles from trail ultramarathoners to better handle inevitable job-related pressures.
Speaker: Jeff Cain (University of Kentucky)
10:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m.
Break
Theme: Partnering with External Stakeholders
10:15 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
The Art of Recruitment: Creative Strategies for Recruiting Prospective Pharmacy Students
Presenters will highlight recruitment strategies focused on primary and secondary school students including a mobile compounding escape room, grab and go tools, compounding kits for off and on campus recruitment, and connecting with health sciences classrooms and future health professional’s organizations. The use of preceptors as extenders to engage with students regionally through classrooms and compounding experiences and a statewide advertising campaign promoting the profession, job responsibilities, careers, and training will be discussed.
Speakers: Jeanne E. Frenzel (North Dakota State University); and Lisa M. Richter (North Dakota State University)
11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Pharmacy for All! Developing Engaging Content for Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) Program Participants
For decades, health career pathway programs have enhanced opportunities for students interested in the health professions. As academic pharmacy continues to face an enrollment crisis, it is imperative to promote pharmacy as a desirable career among undergraduate pre-health pathway program participants, no matter their current health career interest. In this session, we will explore pre-pharmacy content developed at two sites of the undergraduate Summer Health Professions Education Program. Implementation details will be shared.
Speakers: Liz Davis (University of Iowa); and Katie F. Leslie (Sullivan University)
11:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Career Ladder Experiential Externship Program for Pre-Pharmacy Students
To strengthen the Pharm.D. applicant pipeline and to provide a meaningful learning opportunity for undergraduate pre-pharmacy students, an immersive experiential externship program was developed with a community pharmacy chain. The externship provides pre-pharmacy students the career ladder pathway at a major community pharmacy chain. This session will engage participants on key concepts in developing an immersive experiential externship program. Tactics to engage faculty and staff in the delivery of the externship program will be explored.
Speaker: Duc P. Do (University of Georgia)
11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Roundtable: What external constituents are you inviting to your admissions “Tea Party”?
During this roundtable “party” gathering, participants will share their thoughts about which external stakeholders are crucial for developing and implementing progressive admissions and recruiting efforts in order to successfully navigate through the turbulent waters facing pharmacy admissions. These discussions will explore ideas as to what stakeholders should be on-board, how to utilize them, as well as how to assess and change course in response to stakeholder guidance.
Speakers: Melissa Burmeister (William Carey University); and Steve Stoner (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
12:15 p.m. -2:00 p.m.
Working (and Networking!) Lunch – Sponsored by Certiphi Screening
Join us for a working lunch with various Admissions-related table discussion topics. Some tables will be set aside to simply re-connect with colleagues and/or make new connections!
Speakers: Olivia Buncher (University of Minnesota); and Joel Gonzales (University of California, San Francisco)
Theme: Assessing Applicants and Supporting Students’ Needs
2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Concurrent Session 1: Grit and Resilience – Can We Assess It and Then Can We Improve It?
This session will explore data obtained from The University of Texas at Austin assessing grit and resilience of current professional students in Texas to determine if there was a positive correlation with GPA. We will then discuss the multiple mini-interview scenarios incorporated into the UT Austin admissions process to assess grit and resilience. We will conclude with an interactive discussion of activities incorporated into the curriculum to improve grit and resilience of current professional students.
Speakers: Renee Acosta (The University of Texas at Austin); Esther Albuquerque (The University of Texas at Austin); and Greg Caldera (The University of Texas at Austin)
Concurrent Session 2: Analytics by Liaison
This session will highlight Analytics by Liaison, which provides authorized users at colleges and schools of pharmacy with an interactive and visual representation of their local applicant pool for multi-year data analysis and reporting.
Speakers: JuliAna Brammer (University of Maryland); Amy Diepenbrock (University of the Incarnate Word); and Deborah Erdner (Liaison International)
2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Concurrent Session 1: GatoRx Launch: A Pre-Matriculation Program Designed to Prepare Students to Soar
To ensure that admitted students are prepared for success in pharmacy education, University of Florida developed a 16-hour virtual optional program offered the summer prior to matriculation. Collaboration with faculty and others in university support services resulted in 4 hours each of organic chemistry and anatomy and physiology review, and 8 hours on personal development. Students who participated in GatoRx Launch had similar science GPAs upon admission but higher first semester GPAs compared to non-participants.
Speakers: John M. Allen (University of Florida); and Teresa Cavanaugh (University of Florida)
Concurrent Session 2: Enhancing Recruitment Efforts with Liaison’s Outcomes CRM
Join us for an introduction to Outcomes, Liaison's CRM platform designed to seamlessly integrate with PharmCAS and WebAdMIT. This session will showcase how Outcomes can enhance your recruitment practices, deliver customized messaging to prospective students, manage events, and much more as part of Liaison’s comprehensive suite of products.
Speaker: Jillian Baer (Liaison International)
3:00 p.m.-3:40 p.m.
Concurrent Session 1: Designing Your Admissions Process to Drive More Stable Enrollment and Support Student Success
In the session we’ll discuss strategies to build a broader applicant pool; more efficiently assessing applicants for grit, resilience, and other key traits; engaging and enrolling top talent by getting offers out faster; and identifying student needs in the admissions process to support success and retention.
Moderator: Srushti Thaker (Kira Talent); Speakers: Heather Azzu (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill); Jenny Van Amburgh (Northeastern University); and Cari Ceo (University of Michigan)
Concurrent Session 2: AACP's Digital Marketing Program Targeting Future Pharmacy School Students
Learn about AACP's digital marketing program that allows member schools to target online banner advertisements and/or videos to exclusively reach visitors to the PharmCAS and Pharmacy is Right for Me websites. Hear how the program works from AACP's program partner, Echo Interactive, and hear success stories from one school using the program.
Speakers: Owen Landon III (Echo Interactive LLC); and Lindsay Johnson (Creighton University)
3:40 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Beverage Break
4:00 p.m.-4:45 p.m.
Crowdsourcing and Feedback
Stick around for a fun, interactive session where AACP staff want to hear from you. How can we continue to support you in your role in recruitment, admissions, and supporting students on their journey to become a pharmacist?
Speakers: Katie Bruce (AACP Staff); and Susan Vos (AACP Staff)
4:45 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Workshop Wrap-up
Speaker: Thomas TenHoeve (University of Illinois Chicago)