As P4 student pharmacists prepare to graduate statewide, they will be transitioning into fellowships, residencies, or new jobs. An often overlooked aspect for many new graduates is involvement in professional organizations like the Texas Pharmacy Association. This is not surprising because many pharmacy school graduates tend to have busy lives in terms of balancing work and life responsibilities.

The importance of being involved in a state pharmacy association cannot be emphasized enough! Associations like TPA directly advocate on behalf of pharmacists in their respective states. With that support, we can achieve greater progress for our profession and pharmacists can have greater roles and responsibilities in shaping the healthcare field.

I have witnessed firsthand how being involved in TPA can promote beneficial change in the pharmacy profession in Texas. As a student pharmacist member of the Public Policy Council, I have contributed my thoughts and ideas about several pieces of legislation that directly affected pharmacists in Texas. My thoughts were well-received among TPA council members, especially since I am one of the few student pharmacists involved in the meetings. For the past three years, I have also been highly involved with the events at TPA’s annual Conference and Expo.

The lack of student pharmacist involvement in TPA councils represents a missed opportunity. I have not seen enough TPA involvement among my fellow Texas pharmacy students, especially in their first years of pharmacy school. TPA has allowed me to network with several student pharmacists and pharmacists statewide and to become more involved in the Association’s events. If not for TPA, I would not have been as involved in helping shape the future of our profession.

All students can still become more involved in TPA by networking with other members statewide, attending conferences, workshops, education and CE sessions, and other events, and being more involved in councils and committees as well as student leadership positions. Members can also follow new developments in pharmacy through TPA’s weekly e-mail newsletter and quarterly magazine. P4 students can and should continue to be involved after graduation as pharmacist members of TPA with the same benefits that students enjoy.

In short, TPA has allowed me to become a more compassionate pharmacist and to advocate on behalf of patients and our profession in Texas. Students and recent graduates who are not involved with TPA should join in order to play a more pivotal role in making sure that together pharmacy advances in Texas!

Famili is a P4 student pharmacist at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy.