On Saturday, Aug. 6 eight third-year pharmacy students and one second-year student staffed a booth during the inaugural Art of Aging Expo, and plied their recently acquired knowledge in the classroom on unsuspecting attendees. Under the watchful gaze of Professor Peter Rice, PharmD, and Clinical Instructor Randy Knutsen, BS, the students conducted bone density screening and blood pressure checks, while distributing medication tracking cards to event participants. Expo attendees were more than willing to assist students in getting hands-on experience.
“The Art of Aging Expo was a wonderful opportunity for students to practice their skills and interact with the community. Several students were excited by the very interesting people they met,” said P-3 Crystal Garcia, Colorado Student Society of Health System Pharmacists (CSSHP) Community Outreach Coordinator Co-Chair. Students obtained credit prior to the beginning of the school year, which officially begins Aug. 22 for the majority of students and the week of Aug. 15 for the P-1s.
Organized by Cruisin’1430 AM radio station and sponsored by HealthONE, the Expo was held at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton and had more than 1,000 attendees. In previous years, the radio station has held a Veteran’s Fair in October where students practiced their skills, but chose to create this new event in its stead when it underwent a format change and expanded it listenership. According to long-time radio DJ, Rick Crandall, “Our audience is still a mature listener, but the station has a broader appeal.” For Garcia, changing the event from October to August was a little bit of challenge since her fellow classmates were still on summer break. But, Garcia was up to the challenge and had a great turnout from students and preceptors.
For those of you students who weren’t at the Expo, don’t fret. Plenty of practice opportunities await you during the year.
