Binghamton University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey have been pooling their resources recently to give students at both schools more opportunities for residencies and internships.
On Nov. 20, that collaboration continued through a a mini-symposium at SOPPS that allowed members from Hackensack Meridian Health to make the trip to Johnson City.
The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen existing student training opportunities, explore starting a new PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency Program, and foster new research collaborations between Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Binghamton University, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
"I'm really excited to work with the leadership team at Hackensack Meridian, who have the same collaborative mindset as our school," said Kanneboyina Nagaraju, Dean of the Binghamton University Pharmacy School. "We saw several opportunities for research collaborations, ranging from cancer, immunology, drug development, public health, & global health outcomes."
Hackensack's Vice President of Network Pharmacy William Carrol, who attended the event, said he was excited to be a part of the venture.
"As a pharmacy clinician, assistant professor, and executive, I am always excited to partner with a great institution like Binghamton University to continue to advance the practice of pharmacy. Dean Raju has been an amazing partner and I believe the future of pharmacy looks bright for both BU and HMH."
Current SOPPS student Xinyu (Reah) Jia had an internship at Hackensack Meridian Health over the summer. She explained she's already greatly benefiting from the experience.
"My internship experience with Hackensack Meridian Health has opened up a range of future career possibilities as a pharmacy student," Reah said. "Not only was I inspired by the professionalism of everyone that I met, but this valuable internship boosted my skills to a higher level and prepared me for whichever path I choose in the future".
Throughout the day, members from Hackensack were given a tour of the pharmacy school, viewed the different training facilities used by students to gain experience, and joined in a research presentation highlighting the work currently being done by both schools.
