Kappa Psi - Epsilon Mu Newsletter | Summer 2016

SUMMER 2016 NEWSLETTER

KAPPA PSI EPSILON MU

KAPPA PSI PHARMACEUTICAL FRATERNITY, INC. CURRENT OFFICERS: Regent: Jennifer Perez Vice-Regent: Jenny Vuong Secretary: Jacqueline Nguyen Treasurer: Jose Tamayo Historian: Khang Tran Chaplain: Kevin Thomas Sergeant-At-Arms: Benjamin Ferris Pledge Educator: Theora Canonica Immediate Past Regent: Brian Littlejohn

GRAND COUNCIL DEPUTIES: Dr. Renee Rose Dr. Harry Patrick Marcelin Dr. Lawrence Lesko

“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others” - Winston Churchill

EMU MEETS ABQ: THE KAPPA PSI LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM OF 2016 PAGE 2

SEP LEADERSHIP RETREAT PAGE 5

BROTHERS EXPLORE THE WORLD PAGE 6

ROTATION REFLECTION

CHAPTER RETREAT 2016

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EMU MEETS ABQ:

THE KAPPA PSI LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM OF 2016 BY: Jennifer “SHE-RA” Ryder & Nickhil “CHRONOS” Patel

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oing from pledges to Brothers in the oldest pharmaceutical fraternity in the nation in less than a year, we did not understand the magnitude of Kappa Psi. During pledging, we read about the history, we learned about the Grand Council, and heard about the Brotherhood on a national level, but we never visualized it. It was not until the Inaugural Kappa Psi Leadership Symposium that everything was put into perspective. Held in Albuquerque, New Mexico this past July, over one hundred Brothers from across the US and Canada came together to grow as leaders and help further the advancement of our great fraternity. Most chapters were able to send just one ambassador to the symposium; Epsilon Mu was lucky enough to send two. The conference was organized by Past Grand Regent Brother Kali Weaver and Past Grand Ritualist Brother Matthew Lacroix with a great list of guest speakers including Past Grand Regent Brother Kenneth Roberts, Past Grand Regent Brother Eric Gupta, and Past Satraps of the Southeast Province Brothers: Leah Marcelin and Samantha Schmidt, just to name a few.

Our time in Albuquerque started off with a meet and greet at the hotel. The sense of family and the unspoken bond we all shared lifted that initial air of nervousness and awkwardness.

Immediately, we made connections to Brothers who lived thousands of miles away, Brothers who just crossed, and Brothers who had crossed many years ago. It was truly fascinating to get a glimpse of how chapters in other provinces operate, how they conduct their rituals, and the different types of officer positions they have.

It was a night full of introductions, stories, and laughs; it was unlike any other conference we had attended. It set an exciting and warm tone for the rest of the weekend. The next two days were spent listening to our guest speakers, doing team building exercises, and exploring the city.

The entire weekend we were challenged

to meet Brothers we had never met before; especially those who were from a different province. We were assigned random roommates, got shuffled up during the guest speakers speeches, paired up with random Brothers during team exercises, and ended up traveling the city with our new found family. It was a surreal experience meeting so many Brothers; especially those who have held a Grand Office position. We had the absolute pleasure of sharing a table with Past Grand Regent Brother Kenneth Roberts. It was a unique experience sitting next to the “oldest” Brother at the symposium. He crossed back in the 1960s, lived through wars and drafts, saw the fraternity go to co-ed, was a Grand Regent, oversaw the beginning of the Kappa Psi Foundation, and lived in more places that we could have ever imagined.

BUILDING YOUR SELFAWARENESS REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR OWN VALUES, OPINIONS, AND TRIGGERS All the presentations were engaging and the presenters frequently asked for our input and thoughts. It never felt like a lecture, where they were talking at us. It felt like they were talking with us. Team Success vs. Team Sabotage, Influencing Change, and Organizing Productive Meetings were only a few of the topics covered throughout the trip. One of the most memorable speakers for us was Brother Kenneth Roberts.

The topic he covered was succession planning, a concept we had never heard of until the symposium. One concept he taught us was called Bench Strength. The idea was for current leaders to always look ahead and plan for the leaders of tomorrow, so the strengths and

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talents will remain. This is done by acknowledging people’s strengths and developing them so everyone can contribute in their own way. Keeping Brothers engaged in the chapter was another tip Brother Roberts gave to us because it helps keep Brothers involved and passionate about the fraternity. The selfawareness presentation by Brothers Leah Marcelin and Samantha Schmidt was another presentation that stood out because it was a concept we were both unfamiliar with and it took self-reflection. Selfawareness starts with understanding your own drives and emotions, and how they can affect others. Building your self-awareness requires an understanding of your own values, opinions, and triggers. Feedback is crucial in self-awareness. Sometimes it takes another person’s input to really understand how you present yourself. The last presentation of the symposium was

by Brother Johnny Porter. He presented on failures, successes, and what it takes to become a great leader.

He started his presentation by asking us to think of a time where we failed, and then a time where we succeeded. It was another moment of self-reflection

and made us think about the failures we overcame to have our successes. Brother Porter’s main point was that failure is a necessary experience if you want to be successful. He shared with us his experience running for Grand Council and the persistence and determination he needed before he was finally elected.

He finished the symposium by teaching us to not give up, to stay determined, and go above and beyond to help people.

This article alone does not do justice to the amount that we have both got out of the symposium.

We met Brothers from all over the nation, we were encouraged to be involved in presentations, and we were able to grow more as Brothers and leaders.

The few days that we spent in Albuquerque will forever follow us as Brothers and as pharmacists. The symposium taught us to be confident, effective, and compassionate leaders. It taught us how to build up our chapter and be the best Brothers that we can be.

Brothers Jennifer Ryder and Nickhil Patel (Epsilon Mu) proudly display the Gator Chomp with Brother Han Le (Zeta Gamma) in beautiful Albuquerque.

Summer 2016 | Page 3

“PASSION AND INVOLVEMENT IN KAPPA PSI DOES NOT PAUSE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.”

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assion and involvement in Kappa Psi does not pause during the summer months. With the help of the Chapter Development Committee, Epsilon Mu chose six collegiate Brothers to attend the biennial Southeast Province Leadership Retreat in nearby Tampa: Brothers Jenny Vuong, Jacqueline Nguyen, Kevin Thomas, Lemar Lewis, Jose Tamayo, and Katie Li. These Brothers happily joined three of Epsilon Mu’s finest: Brothers Timmy Do, Keon Thomas, and Ravi Bacchus, who currently serve as Officers of the Southeast Province.

The Zeta Delta Chapter hosted a productive and enjoyable weekend, packed with workshops and socials that facilitated learning and networking simultaneously. The weekend festivities began with a welcoming social at the local Peabody’s Billiards and Games for a night of pool, darts, and Brotherly bonding. Epsilon Mu Brothers were able to meet Brothers from all over the Southeast Province, as well as reconnect with ones they had met before. The day of business began with Epsilon Mu’s very own Grand Council Deputy, Dr. Harry Patrick Marcelin, in which he led the ice breaker to get everyone acquainted.

As Kappa Psi Brothers all know, goals are best accomplished when one leaves their comfort zone. Workshops lasted the entire day, covering a vast number of topics including: Communication Styles, Meeting Efficiency, and even Faculty Advisory. During lunch, present Brothers had the honor of participating in a Satrap Panel, where former Satraps were able to speak on their experiences, provide advice, and even share some sentimental stories.

For me, the most insightful presentation that truly resonated with my core values was the “Principles for Effective Leadership” lecture given by Brother Timmy. He spoke of a mission that each Brother in our Chapter

SEP LEADERSHIP RETREAT BY: Katie “CHRYSALIS” Li shares: the never-ending desire to be better than you were the day before. While accomplishments are worth the praise, it is smart to never let them peak your motivation. Use the accomplishments to continue to strive to be that “better person” that is within you.

While the weekend facilitated a lot of learning about development and leadership, it also provided a substantial outlet to spend time with our Brothers. From spending a night in the hotel room cuddled up watching “Shark Tank” to writing “Kappa Psi” on the board of a pizza place that will be there as long as that restaurant still stands, the entire weekend was well spent with our favorite people. For any Brother that is still hesitant on attending the next SEP Leadership Retreat, follow the advice of Brother Jacqueline: “you never know what you’ll find out about your Brothers and about yourself.”

Summer 2016 | Page 5

BROTHERS

EXPLORE THE WORLD

NAME: Kevin “SNOW” Thomas PLACE: NEW YORK FAVORITE PART: My favorite part was exploring New York City.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Halal Guys on 53rd & 6th in Manhattan. A trip to NYC isn’t complete without some Chicken & Rice. Be ready for the long lines!

NAME: Jennifer “SHE-RA”Ryder PLACE: WASHINGTON, DC & ALBUQUERQUE, NM FAVORITE PART: My favorite part of visiting Washington, DC was getting to meet with representatives and senators on Capitol Hill to discuss pharmacy legislation! My favorite part of visiting Albuquerque was connecting with Kappa Psi Brothers from all across the continent!

RECOMMENDATIONS: When visiting Washington, DC you absolutely need to tour the National Mall! Some of my favorite sites around DC include the APhA Headquarters, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Arlington Cemetery! When visiting Albuquerque, a must see is the Sandia Mountains! There is a tram that will take you 10,378 feet up to the top of the mountain where you will be able to see all of Albuquerque. Old Town Albuquerque is also a great spot to immerse yourself in the New Mexican culture! It has a church that is over 200 years old and a ton of small shops for souvenirs!

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NAME: Dominick “NIRVANA” Curry PLACE: GATLINBURG, TN FAVORITE PART: Everything! We had a cabin with a mountain view, good company with Brothers Laurie and Richie, and the outdoor activities (white water rafting, zip lining, and a ropes course) were a lot of fun.

RECOMMENDATIONS: To explore nature and the waterfalls up in the Smoky Mountains.

NAME: Cyrene “NAMASTE” Molineros PLACE: DENVER CO & EVERGREEN, CO FAVORITE PART: Water rafting (sometimes falling) in 40°F water and free wine tasting!

RECOMMENDATIONS: Colorado in general!

Outdoor hiking and going to a bed and breakfast in the mountains is to die for!

NAME: Kevin “SPITFIRE” Martin PLACE: SPAIN FAVORITE PART: Going all over Spain and seeing the different culture that exists over there. People in Spain work in order to support their social lives such as going out, eating tapas, and drinking wine and beer every night.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Going to Granada, La Alhambra, as well as Sevilla (if I picked a city to live in, it would be here)! Also, Sevilla is where Flamenco dancing originated so you would definitely need to check out one of those shows. There is also a castle here where they film scenes for Game of Thrones.

NAME: Megan “KAZAN” Hudson PLACE: NORTH & SOUTH CAROLINA FAVORITE PART: White water rafting down the Nantahala River RECOMMENDATIONS: Asheville, NC has some really great breweries. Some were local while others mass produced beer like Sierra Nevada.

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R O T A T I O N REFLECTION HOSPITAL I feel that my HIPPE rotation experience was a well-rounded one where I truly got to learn about the different components of a hospital pharmacy and how many people it takes to have it run smoothly. I loved being able to get to know the current staff at Florida Hospital Orlando (especially my amazing preceptor, Brother Gollum) and being a part of their pharmacy family for that month. The most memorable moment of my rotation was being able to watch a full coronary artery bypass grafting!

Jenny “PROWLER” Vuong Florida Hospital South

My favorite part was viewing an open heart surgery case in the cardiac OR. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have witnessed this and gave me a new appreciation for surgical teams.

Theora “KHALEESI” Canonica Florida Hospital South

Having this experience at ORMC gave me the confidence that I was missing and helped ensure that UF’s program has successfully prepared me for my future in the pharmacy profession.

Stacy “RIVETER” Garced Orlando Health

There were some things that took some time getting used to being in a hospital in Miami. For example, the amount of Spanish that everyone spoke (except for the two students) and the amount of Cuban coffee everyone consumed (myself included!).

My preceptor has never had a HIPPE student before, so she was super flexible with us and allowed us to spend time in areas that we were interested in. So for 3 weeks, I was able to work up patients and round with the medical team in CVICU, Neuro ICU, Surgical ICU, and ICU. The most memorable part of my rotation was seeing the progress patients made over the month. These ill patients were treated until they were well enough to go home or they were moved to a rehab facility. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to hospital pharmacy.

Kevin “SNOW” Thomas Palmetto General Hospital

My favorite part of the HIPPE rotation was shadowing the ED pharmacist. I was able witness the teamwork that comes into play between various healthcare professionals when treating patients with conditions that need immediate attention. It was a moving experience that I will never forget.

Amy “THREE-SIXTY” Tran Memorial Regional Hospital

It was an unforgettable experience. I was challenged every week by completing different topic discussions on disease states like atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and ventricular fibrillation. I was also able to sit in on APPE student’s presentations/journal clubs and attend grand rounds almost once a week. My favorite part of the rotation was shadowing the ED and trauma pharmacists.

Jennifer “FORTALEZA” Perez Orlando Health

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R O T A T I O N REFLECTION COMMUNITY Although I had my community rotations with the same company I currently intern and work for, I really enjoyed my time. My preceptor challenged me with running the pharmacy on my own. I trained new technicians, counseled patients, called doctors concerning medication problems, and performed medication reconciliation reports. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. It assured me that I am indeed capable of managing a pharmacy on my own, with some practice of course!

My CIPPE rotation was the first time I had ever worked in the community setting, so it was a great opportunity for me to learn how this branch of pharmacy works!

Amanda “CLEOPATRA” Al-Bahou Publix

Cyrene “NAMASTE” Molineros Publix Interacting with patients was the highlight of my community rotation and has opened my eyes to what community pharmacy truly is.

Ben “AURELIUS” Ferris Scripts Pharmacy at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital

This community rotation solidified my choice in pursuing pharmacy as a career. I first presumed it was the field of medicine that intrigued me, but I quickly realized my passion lied in the art of listening and comforting others. My summer rotation provided me with endless test patients and technicians, but I cannot think of a better way to have spent my days. With my pharmacy knowledge advancing, I hope that I can continue to use my friendliness to bring smiles to my patients’ faces.

Katie “CHRYSALIS” Li Wal-Mart

On one of my final CIPPE days at Publix Pharmacy, my preceptor told me “You are the pharmacist here. Answer the phones, take scripts from doctors, complete transfers, and counsel the patients.” This was the day I learned the most as I was fully emerged in the community role of a pharmacist.

It’s really great to see how pharmacy is actually practiced in the community! You get to see real people with real questions. It was a nice change of pace from the role playing and powerpoint slides from class.

Jose “GHOST” Tamayo Publix

Nickhil “CHRONOS” Patel Taylors Pharmacy

The first day of my CIPPE rotation at Publix was the first time I had ever stepped into a community pharmacy! It was scary at first, but I realized pretty quickly that there was nothing to be nervous about since pharmacy is what I’ve dedicated my life to. I really loved my time at Publix! I finally got to interact with real patients and it felt great to feel like you made an actual difference in a real patient’s life who has legitimate health issues or concerns.

Jennifer “SHE-RA” Ryder Publix Applying what I’ve learned this past year has been an amazing experience. While learning the workflow of community pharmacy, I have This rotation served as a crash course in improved my communication with patients. I community pharmacy to me and I loved it! was able to use my counseling skills to provide While retail pharmacy is very fast-paced, this recommendations and help patients. experience allowed me to put everything I learned in my first year to use. It was a new and Denys “TESLA” Ivasechko unforgettable experience!

Walgreens Vanita “DUCTILITY” Harridan Walgreens Summer 2016 | Page 9

C H APTE R R ET RE AT 201 6

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E D I T O R ’ S N O T E Special thank you to the committee, writers, contributors, and editors of the Summer Sixteen Newsletter.

- ENIGMA N&P COMMITTEE Khai Ho Amy Tran Timmy Do Jeanine Garcia Amy Hibbard Jacqueline Nguyen Nemat Ashraf Kevin Martin Megan Hudson Alyssa Dungca Katie Li Nicole Meretsky Khang Tran

Epsilon Mu Chapter of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Inc. kappapsiepsilonmu.com

Magazine | 2014

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