Page 5 - Fall 2017 ACA Magazine_8.24.2017.revised_8-47

FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Scholarship

Educating Our Professions Future Pharmacists

THOMAS J. HUNT, RPH, FACA, FACVP | CHAIRMAN, ACA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

W

hen asked to write a short article,
I had no idea what to write about. Then at 35,000 feet, on
route to Anchorage Alaska for the second annual Bernie
Klouda memorial golf tournament, inspiration hit —
SCHOLARSHIP.

Many of us who have been practicing pharmacy for 30 or
40 years, remember the cost of our education. In my case,
I was working for a local grocery chain, stacking canned
goods, and made a decent hourly wage. I could earn
enough in the summer to be able to pay the fall semester ...want the
tuition. Working during the fall semester and the extra
hours over the holidays, I could almost cover the spring students to
semester.
see the side of
Fast forward to today. The length of pharmacy school has
increased. In fact, St. Louis College of Pharmacy started a 7 pharmacy we
year program a few years ago. The cost per semester hour
has skyrocketed, like the cost of many pharmaceuticals. all love,
Students who graduate, and those that do not make it
through the entire program, take on a huge amount of patient care.
debt for the privilege of working as a pharmacist. Granted,
new graduates start their career with a handsome salary,
but the debt load still looms ahead of them, needing
monthly service.
difference. I hope I recognize the time when I am no
Bernie Klouda, like many of us, was very involved in longer relevant and need to step away from the counter.
pharmacy school education, wanting the students to Until that time comes, I plan to continue to support and
see the side of pharmacy we all love, patient care. In an educate our future pharmacists.
independent pharmacy, it is more like helping a friend.
Bernie, thanks for being a champion of pharmacy students
Part of the mission of the ACA is education. It is and a good example for all of us practicing and educating
imperative that each of us do what we can to keep our profession's future pharmacists.
that mission alive and help pharmacy students of today.
It is time to land, and put up my tray table and seat back.
I feel the profession has given me more than I had ever
hoped for. My original goal was to retire at 50, but today, I look forward to seeing all of you soon at the Fall
many years past that age, I still go to work every day Pharmacy Conference and to hear how you are helping
because I like what I do and I feel I still make a provide our profession's future.

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