P1 and P2 students: Start 2022 strong by joining our Student Pharmacist Learning Community

As WSU Applebaum students return for a new semester, the Student Pharmacist Learning Community peer mentors want P1 and P2 students to remember that free-and-friendly help is readily available.

Brooke Penny, Emily Meredith, and Cailyn Evans
LC mentors Brooke Penny (left), Emily Meredith and Cailyn Evans

The LC hosts organizational hour drop-in sessions each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, with a general review session each Monday at 6 p.m. All sessions are virtual through at least the end of January. The Zoom meeting link was sent to students’ WSU email accounts during fall semester and is posted on the group’s Canvas site.

Peer mentors work closely with P1 and P2 course coordinators throughout each semester to stay current with learning objectives.

“We know students are stressed before exams, but once they attend an LC session, they find out what they need to work on and gain confidence,” said Class of 2023 PharmD candidate Brooke Penny, who works with Cailyn Evans and Emily Meredith to help first- and second-year students through the program, guided by Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice Victoria Tutag Lehr. “Knowing what to study and how best to go about it helps calm their nerves.”

The Student Pharmacist LC Canvas site also offers a wealth of information, including links to view recordings of previous study sessions.

Virtual peer mentor office hours 
Monday: 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. – Cailyn Evans 
Wednesday: 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. – Emily Meredith 
Thursday: 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. – Brooke Penny 

Virtual general review session 
Monday: 6-7 p.m. – all three peer mentors

Penny encourages students who haven’t yet taken advantage of this free resource to give it a try this semester. “We’re way more than just tutors,” she said. “We can answer your questions but also be a sounding board so you can talk through the material.”

She notes that mentors can also connect students with one another to form study groups, which is an incredibly effective way to manage tough courses, adding, “When you talk through the material together, not only does it help you on tests but it prepares you for explaining drugs and doses to patients, which is an important part of the job.”

Penny says attending LC sessions during her first year helped her develop study skills that she still relies upon today. She applied to be a peer mentor so she could pay it forward.

“We are students too — we’ve already been through these classes and can offer insight on how to time-manage and study for them,” she said. “We’re also here for advice on joining student orgs, getting internships and making your way through the program in general. We’re on the other side of what you’re going through right now so rely on us to help.”

To get started, join the Student Pharmacist Learning Community on Canvas and check the site daily for updated resources and announcements. If you have questions, write to a peer mentor — Brooke Penny, Cailyn Evans or Emily Meredith — or contact Dr. Tutag Lehr.

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