Upcoming Events

See the CAPS Calendar Link in the sidebar for a schedule of events!

Confused?  Check out our CAPS Dictionary for an explanation of terms and what it means to be a member of CAPS!

A Letter from the CAPS Chair to the New Class

Dear Class of 2015,

Congratulations on your admission to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy (ESOP).  We are excited to have you join our pharmacy program, and the Carolina Association of Pharmacy Students (CAPS) would like to be among the first student organizations to welcome you to campus, whether you will be attending the Chapel Hill, Elizabeth City, or Asheville campus.

As you prepare for the start of your pharmacy career, I would encourage you to start exploring different aspects of pharmacy.  One of the easiest and best ways to do this is by getting involved with one of the student organizations.  CAPS is the largest student pharmacist organization with over 300 members and offers a wide variety of activities and options for every student to develop professionally, provide patient care, and explore different areas of pharmacy.

By joining CAPS, you gain membership to two national organizations, American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), as well as our state organization, North Carolina Association of Pharmacists (NCAP).  We encourage you to build your professional network by attending one of the regional or national meetings to meet students from other chapters.

Once you begin pharmacy school, you will quickly realize that there are many pharmacy specialties outside of retail or hospital.  CAPS invites guest speakers from many specialty fields that include, but are not limited to pediatrics, clinical psychiatry, industry, and community.  Additionally, CAPS offers opportunities to interact with patients at health fairs and screening events, which may involve taking blood pressure, checking blood glucose, and providing influenza immunizations.  There are also many opportunities to educate our community about smoking cessation, medication safety, or heartburn awareness.

In addition to patient care and pharmacy specialties, CAPS encourages professional development.  We offer workshops on how to build a curriculum vitae (CV), interviewing tips, and internship opportunities.  We also hold panel discussions about residencies, fellowships, and other post-graduate plans.

We are also expanding the opportunities CAPS offers through International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF), which offers students the opportunity to spend a summer month in a pharmacy abroad.  Another area we are working to strengthen is in the area of policy and legislative action through Student Political Action Network (SPAN).  Students are encouraged to write their Congress member or even visit him/her at the capital to discuss issues that are crucial to the scope of pharmacy practice.

We hope that you will browse our website to learn more about CAPS and consider joining our members this fall.  Please be encouraged to contact me with any questions you may have about CAPS or pharmacy school.  We look forward to welcoming you this fall!

Sincerely,

Maya Wai
maya_wai@unc.edu
UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
PharmD candidate, Class of 2013
Chair, Carolina Association of Pharmacy Students