On February 14, the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences hosted its first PharmD Intern Fair. Fifty-eight UCI student pharmacists and 13 pharmacies, hospitals, and employers from the Orange and Los Angeles counties participated in the event for students to learn about local intern pharmacist job opportunities.

“[We are profoundly grateful for the tremendous display of support from employers in the community. We had recruiters come from near and far and a few even flew in to meet our student pharmacists at the inaugural PharmD Intern Job Fair. The job fair provided students with the access to multiple employers in one place, networking opportunities, learning opportunities, and interview opportunities. That day helped expand their knowledge of the different areas of pharmacy practice and enhanced their professional development as they made connections and met with employers who provided them with valuable advice and guidance,” says Megan Nguyen, founding associate dean of pharmacy student affairs.

As part of the PharmD program, students begin their introductory pharmacy practice experiences after their first and second year of school and have advanced pharmacy practice experiences after their third year of school. These rotation experiences ensure students gain authentic learning in patient-centered care, medication use systems, promotion of health and wellness, and population-based care.

Employers in attendance included UCI Health, CHOC Children’s Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, Riverside University Health System, CVS, Albertsons, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Optum, and many more.

In a post-event survey, employers commented:

• The students were very professional. Faculty went around and introduced themselves.
• Your students are fabulous, engaged, and professional!
• Students were very engaged, and everything was well organized
• Very well organized – clear instructions, appreciated that someone greeted us every step of the way

Click here to view photos from the event.

If you are an employer and wish to participate in our next PharmD Intern Job Fair, please contact pharmd@uci.edu.