This year, the University of Manitoba Pharmacy Student’s Association (UMPhSA) faced the challenge of continuing with regular school festivities, however, via a virtual platform.
As COVID-19 continued to impact the association’s plans, the committee decided to host some of their traditional events, but with a few adjustments. Events hosted over the school year included multiple social media wellness activities in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI) Manitoba, such as the Fall Bingo Challenge, UMPhSA’s annual career fair, lunch and learns and many others.
The students launched their first-ever interprofessional social media account alongside the other Rady Faculty of Health Sciences colleges in order to promote interprofessional collaboration and awareness within the student body.
In addition to this, UMPhSA was able to collaborate with the University of Manitoba Students’ Union in other initiatives, such as organizing Christmas hamper baskets with the support from the student body, faculty members and student council. In total, they were able to successfully raise $1,710 for this cause.
Lastly, UMPhSA collaborated alongside Let’s Talk Science on a podcast series called The Pharm Survival Guide, where students and alumni were invited to speak about their experiences within the College of Pharmacy as well as in practice. This podcast was launched in March 2021, just in time for Pharmacist Appreciation Month, led by CAPSI representatives.