PLS Pill: Investing in the Next Generation of Pharmacy Leaders

Authored by PLS Digital Marketing Manager Haley McKeefer, PharmD, MHA, MS, CPHQ with assistance by chapter leaders from Beta Alpha of University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, Epsilon Iota of the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Gamma Psi of the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy

Our mission at Phi Lambda Sigma is to recognize leaders in the pharmacy profession, cultivate leadership development, and inspire transformational change. We take this mission to empower lifelong leaders very seriously.

One way of intentionally investing in our members is through the Chapter Development Award, a semi-annual grant that enables our collegiate chapters in good standing to host innovative leadership programming that impacts at least 20 people both within and outside of Phi Lambda Sigma.

Three recent winners— Beta Alpha, Epsilon Iota, and Gamma Psi— share more about the impact of their transformational leadership programming and how the PLS Chapter Development grant made it possible.

If you would like to learn more information about the Chapter Development Award or the specifics of the below projects for implementation on your campus, please reach out to the Awards Committee at [email protected]. The next offering of the award will end on January 31st, 2025.

DiveRxsity Dialogues - Beta Alpha of University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy

On December 1st, 2023, the Beta Alpha chapter collaborated with three student organizations to host equity champion Dr. Sally Arif, a two-time Pearson National Teaching awardee and AACP Distinguished Pharmacy Educator. Her keynote presentation emphasized the importance of addressing implicit bias and using inclusive language. The workshop included roundtable discussions led by local practitioners focused on the nuances of caring for diverse patient populations, inspiring a collective commitment for student and professional attendees to advance health equity current and future healthcare providers. Beta Alpha's DiveRxsity Dialogues provided the platform for the crucial conversations that promote a more welcoming environment for all members of the UW-Madison pharmacy community and beyond.

The PLS Chapter Development Award supported the speaker's honorarium and food for the event. By raising awareness of various cultures, perspectives, and experiences, DiveRxsity Dialogues fostered a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by underserved individuals, promoting increased empathy and cultural sensitivity of future graduates.

Leadership Retreat - Epsilon Iota of the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

On January 27th, 2024, the Epsilon Iota chapter hosted a half-day, six-session leadership retreat for all students on their campus. Attendees learned numerous key leadership techniques including event planning, organization, communication, conflict resolution, and leadership styles/delegation. School of Pharmacy faculty & staff and Epsilon Iota executive leadership assisted in delivering the retreat curriculum. The final activity consisted of scenarios in which attendees were tasked to plan a large-scale event and faced interpersonal or logistical challenges during their planning, and had to use the skills worked on at the retreat to navigate the obstacles. In a post-event survey, participants stated multiple takeaways such as better views on conflict resolution and improved understanding of different leadership styles.

The PLS Chapter Development Award supported the costs of breakfast, lunch, and handout materials for the retreat. By supporting student leaders campus-wide, the Epsilon Iota Leadership Retreat improved operations of all campus organizations and strengthened the pharmacy school and its emerging leaders as a whole.

Emotional Intelligence Workshop - Gamma Psi of the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy

In April 2024, the Gamma Psi chapter hosted over 100 student pharmacist and student physician assistant leaders (including 100% of their chapter members) for an emotional intelligence lunch-and-learn workshop led by Debbie Rogers, PCC, CPCC, of Onsite Workshops located in Nashville, TN. During the workshop, simple questions such as “Who am I?”, “Where am I?”, and “What do I want?”, led to an in-depth discussion of our personal values as healthcare professionals. Concluding the event was an invitation to create a list of core values—these values should garner not only one’s past, but also what one wishes for the future. With a set of guiding values such as these, attendees learned how to direct their path to that of excellence in not only emotional intelligence, but also the relationships that are built with those around them.

The PLS Chapter Development Award supported the costs of the speaker, facility, and refreshments. This leadership offering served as a starting point for many to begin their own journey in emotional intelligence in order to bolster the future of the healthcare industry with compassionate, well-informed leaders.

Interested in publishing to PLS membership? Reach out to our Digital Marketing Manager at [email protected].