Despite Pandemic, Touro College of Pharmacy Classes and Programs in Full Swing
Students From All Over the U.S. and Around the World Begin Their Studies Virtually
TCOP welcomed a diverse and accomplished Class of 2024 on Monday, August 17. The 60 future PharmDs represent 35 undergraduate institutions (CUNY–Hunter College leads with seven, CUNY–Brooklyn College is next with five), and come from nine states and have roots in 13 nations including Albania, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Guyana, Iran, Israel, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Many have already earned advanced degrees and professional certifications in specialties ranging from Pharm Tech and Nurse Assistant to Phlebotomy and Advanced Life Support/CPR. After a two-day blended in-person/virtual orientation, they began didactic classes at the end of the summer.
Building and Library Open; Classes Mostly Virtual for Now
The building and library reopened in August with strict COVID-19 protocols enforced, including mandatory masks and social distancing. All classes are virtual/online for now, but there are in-person labs in Pharmaceutics II and Research Methodology. We are monitoring the progress of the pandemic on a daily basis and hope to transition to hybrid classes (a combination of in-person and online) and more on-campus classes as soon as circumstances allow us to do so safely.
Programs ZOOM into Fall
The constraints imposed by the pandemic have not dampened the spirits of faculty, staff and students, and our student and school-sponsored virtual programs have Zoomed into the fall semester, including alumni speakers and research colloquium.
Grads Return as Program Speakers
The TCOP student chapter of Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) hosted three TCOP Class of 2020 grads: Dr. Alexander Agyei Marfo, Pfizer North America Medical Affairs/Inflammation and Immunology; Dr. Nino Katchiuri, Pfizer North America Medical Affairs/Global Medical Affairs Internal Medicine; and Dr. Ryan Wolfe, Marketing Fellow, RevHealth, graciously shared their experiences as industry fellows. Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS), the National Pharmacy Leadership Society, hosted a virtual research workshop with guest speaker Dr. Christine Le, TCOP Class of 2019, now a Pediatric Pharmacist at BronxCare Health System. Dr. Le provided an overview of opportunities in pharmaceutical research and reviewed the components of a research abstract and presentation poster. Following Dr. Le’s presentation, student panelists discussed their experiences conducting research under TCOP faculty supervision.
Research Colloquium Focuses on Flu Vaccine
Students heard a special presentation by world-renowned expert, Doris J. Bucher, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, who oversees the laboratory that develops high-yield strains used to produce the world’s annual supply of influenza vaccine. Dr. Bucher discussed “Influenza Vaccine in the Time of COVID-19.”
