Orientation Week at TCOP
The class of 2020 gets to know their new peers, faculty, and campus.
"I walked into CVS one day because I wanted to get inside of the job," says Valerie Atong, a P1 student at the Touro College of Pharmacy (TCOP) who worked as a pharmacy technician for ten years in Atlanta, Georgia. "It was something I always wanted to do...and the rest is history."
Originally from Cameroon, Valerie was inspired to study pharmacy because of family members who suffered from treatable illnesses. “If they know more about drugs,” she says, “maybe they can be used as preventatives.” She is one of 85 new students representing the class of 2020, which includes students hailing from as near as Brooklyn, New York and as far as Montenegro.
In TCOP's three-day orientation, which included introductions and presentations from the Offices of Student Affairs, Student Services, Practice Experience, and other TCOP academic departments, the incoming students learned about their new schedules, met with faculty advisors, and gleaned advice from upperclassmen and graduates during a panel discussion.
The P1s also got to know their neighborhood on a bus tour of Harlem - which included stops at the famed Convent Avenue and Apollo Theater - and learned about the history, culture, and traditions of the community. The week concluded with a Block Party Bash, where students were introduced to various student organizations, and enjoyed a BBQ lunch, water fights, and a moonbounce.
"This is a very bright, diverse, and energetic class," says associate dean for student affairs, Michael Escott. "We will do all we can to optimize the teaching and learning environment for the students - all they need to do is study and enjoy themselves."
Welcome to Touro College of Pharmacy, class of 2020!
