As a child in a north Denver suburb, Angelica Garcia did not realize that a healthcare career could be in her future.
“I am first-generation, and I did not know anyone in the medical field,” she said. Garcia explained that her parents did not speak English, so she had to navigate the United States school system almost entirely by herself. Not that her family was not supportive, but language barriers and cultural differences made the process difficult. In high school, she was accepted into a summer pre-health program through the University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz Medical Campus. It was there that she was introduced to pharmacy.
Now a fourth-year pharmacy student, Garcia is on a mission to create space for students like her. One year ago, she approached Chandler Follett, PharmD, Pharmacy Outreach Specialist and Clinical Instructor at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CU Pharmacy), with an idea. Garcia wanted to build a pharmacy high school outreach program unique to first-generation students. She wanted the program to address not only navigating a school system not built for them, but to understand their additional daily concerns – such as, worry over a family member being deported, racial violence, and living in a multi-generational household. Garcia strongly believes that these programs work, and that introducing students to careers they never thought possible, such as pharmacy, will increase people of color working in healthcare.
Dr. Follett was the person for the job. A dedicated hospital pharmacist and outreach coordinator, Follett works across Colorado to raise awareness of the pharmacy profession and its opportunities. She partners with institutions to create pharmacy pathway programs that collaboratively support students on their journey to pharmacy school, and she was excited to be part of this innovative initiative.
“She listened to me, and she understood why this was so important,” Garcia said. “She said ‘Okay, we need to do this, we can make it happen.’”
They decided to name their project the Pharmacy Outreach Program, or POP, because it would be easy for high school students to remember and easy to say in many languages.
POP Comes to Life
Follett had the support of the CU Pharmacy Administration, and she encouraged Garcia to recruit more pharmacy students to provide input and build POP. Next, Follett needed a liaison, someone respected in the Latino community, and a powerful source of energy. That person would be responsible for building relationships with school systems, encouraging students to get excited about a healthcare career, and their biggest cheerleader.
Enter Julissa Soto.
For over two decades, Soto has been a force for change, leading the charge for Latino immigrant equality, inclusion, and health equity not just in Colorado, but across the entire nation. From her roots in teen parent programs to her pivotal role on the Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force and her advocacy for health equity at the American Diabetes Association, Soto has relentlessly pioneered programs aimed at empowering marginalized communities.
Soto, the perfect collaborator for POP, immediately set to work. Within months she and Follett had seven metro high schools on board, fourteen pharmacy students to run the outreach, and a curriculum built.
“The program has two pharmacy students assigned to each school, and will include four visits over the next year,” Follett explained. “Lectures are taught by CU Pharmacy students. Each visit will last ninety minutes and feature a unique lecture and activity.
"While the program aims to be informative, inspirational, and engaging, our primary goal is for the pharmacy students’ stories about their journeys, experiences in school, and future aspirations to touch the lives of high school students and inspire the next generation of pharmacists."
Program Launch
This fall, the pilot POP launches in three districts (Denver Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, and Jefferson County Public Schools). By the team's estimate, hundreds of high school students will be introduced to the field of pharmacy, its diverse career opportunities, and pharmacist’s important role as first-line providers.
“It’s an honor to work with such a talented students,” said Soto. “We must build curriculums that our students can identity with, including cultural validation, into the pharmacy education. We will take the field of pharmacy, and the students, a step closer to being at home.”
For Garcia, to see her idea come to fruition is exciting.
“Initiating POP, with the help of Dr. Follett and Julissa Soto, is my way of paving the path for others, showing that with determination and support, we can create opportunities where none existed before."
Click here to learn more about the PharmD program
