Wearing their white lab coats, professional students from the School of Pharmacy held their “Giving Back to the Heroes” event for the third year in a row, but, for the first time on Main Campus, today, Oct. 22.
The event took place from noon to 4 p.m. in the Student Center atrium, and was coordinated by the school’s branch of the American Pharmacists Association’s Academy of Student Pharmacists, an advocacy group for professional pharmacists. October is American Pharmacists Month.
“We’re just here to educate and counsel on different disease statistics for Temple students and the police force of Philadelphia,” Scott Trimborn, a second-year professional student said.
The event offered free blood pressure tests and a number of information tables on topics including smoking cessation, diabetes, heartburn awareness and Operation Heart.
Representatives from Jefferson School of Pharmacy and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia also took part in the event.
Although the event was held in part for local police officers, Sabah Lodi, a second-year professional student, said the officer turnout could have been better.
“The turnout has been OK since it’s right on Main Campus…unfortunately we didn’t get a lot of police [officers] to come over,” Lodi said.
Malyha Mannan, president of the APhA-ASP and a third-year professional student, said that the event was also intended to promote the school and the pharmacy profession.
The event was previously held on the Health Sciences Campus. Mannan said that because it was on Main Campus, the turnout was higher than in previous years, but could have been better.
“I would have liked to see more, but it’s a better turnout than last year,” Mannan said.
Mannan also said that holding the event on Main Campus helps to bridge the gap between undergraduate and graduate students.
“We’re letting students know we’re here for them…kind of reaching out to them,” Mannan said.
Angelo Fichera can be reached at afichera@temple.edu.
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