On the morning of April 9, a group of 33 high school students with aspirations in health-related careers visited UMB from Green Street Academy in West Baltimore to learn about careers in pharmacy.

Students participated in a walking tour of the UMB campus that culminated with a presentation on careers in pharmacy at Pharmacy Hall. While at the School of Pharmacy, students toured the Fred Abramson Pharmacy Practice Lab, Walgreens Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) rooms, the IV Lab, the Pharmacy Hall museum, and lecture halls.

Students also learned how they will need to prepare now if they think they’re interested in a career in pharmacy. The pharmacy presentation and building tour was developed by JuliAna Brammer, MBA, director of admissions, Records and Registration, and Patrice Sharp, office manager, Student Affairs, and it was led by third-year student Gloria Rinomhota.

“Oftentimes, students may not be aware of the diverse areas that pharmacists practice,” Brammer said. “We find that information given by our current pharmacy students, along with presentations and hands-on activities, helps to engage and expose K-12 students to careers in pharmacy.”

UMB’s Office of Community Engagement works to develop relationships with public schools in West Baltimore and leverage campus resources to meet needs identified by these schools, with career exposure being among the top requests.

OCE challenges student groups, staff, and faculty across the UMB campus to develop creative ways to share their chosen career paths with our K-12 partners. If you, your student organization, or department would like to propose such an activity or gain assistance in developing creative ways to engage our community partners, please contact Brian Sturdivant, MSW, director of strategic initiatives and community partnerships, via email at  bsturdivant@umaryland.edu or by calling 410-706-1678.