A new resource within the Taneja College of Pharmacy – Industry Advisory Council(TCOP-IAC) will provide students networking and interprofessional opportunities with professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, experience that could help shape the careers of these future pharmacists.

This new grass-roots type effort, called the Pharmacy Industry Network, or PIN, allows students to spend time with industry experts to gain valuable insight into that lane of the pharmacy profession.

PIN, who will meet bi-monthly, held its first meeting on April 16 and had an excellent turnout. Attendees included first- through fourth-year pharmacy students, faculty, staff, alumni, and industry partners. Discussion items included research, collaboration, and education collaboration. The goal of the first meeting was to gain the attendees’ input to create future goals for PIN to strive for, to determine the needs of the attendees, what they can contribute to the network, and what they would like to see the network do in future meetings.

Overall, attendees loved the idea of having the opportunity to network with one another within the network, happy to have the interaction with the industry, and would like to see guest speakers during these meetings according to Shyam Mohapatra, PhD, TCOP-IAC chair, and TCOP associate dean and professor.  Attendees were sent a brief survey following the meeting as an opportunity to share additional feedback and to gauge how PIN will move forward.

The PIN aims to provide these opportunities to TCOP students early in their academic journey to help guide them toward specific career paths in the industry and to help them better plan internships and other learning opportunities, Dr. Mohapatra said.

“Having hands-on experience and strong networking skills are important in the pharmacy industry,” he said. “The PIN allows students the opportunity to gain that necessary experience earlier in their academic careers, making them stronger candidates for jobs when they are ready to enter the workforce.”

Some of the industry partners working with the TCOP-IAC and University of South Florida include BioNTech, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb.

The TCOP-IAC was established in 2020 to fulfill the college’s mission of revolutionizing health.  The IAC is comprised of partners with pharmacy, nanotechnology, biotechnology and life science industries, and other non-profit and for-profit research institutions.  The mission of the council is to:

• Strengthen industry-academia partnerships within Florida.
• Establish joint career, research, and educational collaborations and pipelines.
• Foster and promote entrepreneurial activities.
• Provide a network of industry contacts for stakeholders, faculty, and students.
• Ensure education programs are effective and relevant for meeting the needs of industry affiliates and the community.

The next meeting of the PIN will be sometime in June.

The USF Physicians Group has a new governance structure, called USF Health Care, to better reflect a faculty practice group incorporating professionals from across health care disciplines, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, public health professionals, physical therapists and physician assistants.

“USF Health Care recognizes the value added when all USF Health practitioners work together as one to improve the health and quality of life of our patients and the greater community,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “It is another important step in the coordination of effort among all our health science colleges and schools.”

Dr. Lockwood recently approved the creation of the new clinical leadership board for the practice plan, which includes the deans of USF Health’s four colleges and the director of its School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.  This board will help advise Dr. Lockwood on issues related to USF Health’s clinical service mission.

From left, Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health; Victoria Rich, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing, Kevin Sneed, PharmD, dean of the College of Public Health; and Laura Lee (Dolly) Swisher, PT, PhD, interim director of the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences. 

The recent change in clinical governance structure is a testament to USF Health’s dedication to creating the best team-based care available, said Kevin Sneed, PharmD, dean of the USF College of Pharmacy.

“We are delighted and prepared to contribute to outstanding quality of care and health outcomes for USF Health patients,” Dr. Sneed said. “The evolution to USF Health Care confirms our collective commitment to train the most advanced health care workforce for the future, ultimately resulting in optimal health for people in our communities.”

Health care today is a team profession, with no single health professional or specialization able to meet all the complex needs of patients, said Victoria Rich, PhD, dean of the USF College of Nursing.

“USF Health Care brings together exceptional teams of clinical experts skilled at collaborating and contributing their expertise,” Dr. Rich said. “Our teams of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, physical  therapists and community and family health faculty are at the forefront of 21^st century health care.”

“The evolution of what had been an outstanding physician group to what will be an outstanding integrated health care group reflects our continued commitment to interprofessional approaches to care delivery and the promotion of health for patients and their families,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health.

“It is about being relevant, but also forward thinking.  We want all our clinical faculty to be up to date on the latest in clinical practice, so that they can share the latest advancements with our students and inform and translate their research studies for more rapid adoption.”

The new governance structure demonstrates that USF Health is serious about taking interprofessional practice to a higher level, said Laura Lee (Dolly) Swisher, PT, PhD, interim director of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

“Transforming interprofessional education into collaborative practice can be organizationally challenging,” Dr. Swisher said. “The new structure for USF Health creates an environment to foster interprofessional teaching, research and clinical care, and a framework to facilitate interprofessional planning to promote health.”