Mercer Summer Program to Expose High Schoolers to Pharmacy Profession

High school students intrigued by biology and chemistry and their applications to health and wellness may be interested in a three-day pharmacy summer program at ’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The program targets underrepresented minority groups thanks to a $10,000 gift from Walgreens designed to foster diversity in the field of pharmacy.

The Mercer Pharmacy Scholars Summer Program runs July 19-21, from 9am - 4pm, on the College’s Atlanta campus at 3001 Mercer University Drive off I-85. The program is for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors with interests in pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences. It includes activities in a compounding lab and workshops in pharmacy ethics, drug identification and patient care, as well as a pharmacy-related field trip. A panel of pharmacists will also discuss pharmacy careers with the participants.

“This summer program is critically important to increasing awareness among young people of the unique training, expertise and value of pharmacists and pharmaceutical sciences within the health care delivery system,” said Hewitt W. “Ted” Matthews, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and vice president for health services at Mercer University.

“The generous gift from Walgreens also allows us to expand opportunities in this profession to underrepresented groups, which is critical as our health care system expands to meet the increased needs of Americans who are becoming more ethnically diversified and are living longer lives.”

Participants of the summer program must have a cumulative high school grade-point average of 3.0. Program tuition is $100, which covers lunch each day, instructional materials, laboratory supplies, a T-shirt and field trip transportation. A limited number of stipends are available to participants requiring tuition assistance. The deadline to apply is May 31.

For more information about the Mercer Pharmacy Scholars Summer Program or to request an application, please contact your school counselor or Amanda Nather, enrollment associate at Mercer’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, at nather_aa@mercer.edu or 678.547.6232. Also, visit the Web site at http://cophs.mercer.edu/pharmacyscholars.htm.