By: Tasnima Nabi, Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – Social media is a powerful platform, allowing for the quick and easy exchange of ideas. Although the Internet has facilitated universal access, for many, it can be difficult to find reliable information. By combining the power of the Internet with his dedication to the pharmacy profession, Eric Christianson,…

By: Melissa Roy Co-Copy Editor [Graphics focused] — Many people do not realize the opportunities that are available to pharmacists. Joanne Bollhofer-White has taken the path less traveled by entering into the Air Force. Her position in the military has allowed her to travel all over the country while serving her country. The Air Force…

By: Melissa Roy Co-Copy Editor [Graphics focused] – Our dedicated preceptor Kimberly Defronzo, RPh, MS, MBA is currently a Consumer Safety Officer at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She attended the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy for her Bachelors of Pharmacy. She then went to St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health…

By: Kenny Ng, STJ AMCP Chapter President, PharmD c/o 2017, Kenny Chan, STJ AMCP Chapter President-Elect, PharmD c/o 2017, Davidta Brown, Senior Staff Editor – While those who work tirelessly to combat the spread of Hepatitis B and C never have a day off, there is one day in the year during which special attention…

By: Davidta Brown, Senior Staff Editor – A new therapeutic device has seemingly leapt from the pages of a science fiction novel and into the hands of migraine sufferers around the world. Worn over the forehead and sending electromagnetic stimulation directly into the supraorbital trigeminal nerves, the cranial nerve stimulator offered by Belgian biotechnology company…

By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor (Content-focused) – On Tuesday, February 4th, the New Jersey Pharmacist Association (NJPhA) and Dr. Maria Leibfried hosted a seminar for international pharmacy students at St. John’s University. The seminar was held to provide information to international students, especially for those who are here as F-1 students, about their options when…

By: Tracey Li, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – The American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) holds the only meeting designed for student pharmacists, the Midyear Regional Meeting (MRM).  This year, the MRM took place in Washington, D.C. from November 1-3. In past years, the MRM has always been a gathering of the APhA-ASP…

By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – For the brand new year, we present an interview with Sherif Guorgui, the current Vice-President of Pharmacy at the Ontario Pharmacists Association and the former 2011-2012 President of the Ontario College of Pharmacists in Canada. Mr. Guorgui graduated in 1998 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University…

By: Beatrice Popovitz, Staff Editor and Ada Seldin, Staff Editor –       In August 2013, St. John’s University welcomed Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., former president of Niagara University, into the community as interim president. Fr. Levesque has an elaborate background in Vincentian leadership and higher education, having taught in various religious institutions such…

By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor and Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – In Volume 1 Issue1 of the Rho Chi Post, we were honored to have an interview with Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH, FAPhA, CDE, and Director of Clinical Pharmacy at El Rio Health Center in Tucson, Arizona. She had started a petition to support…

By: Katharine Cimmino, Editor-in-Chief and Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor –       Just last month, St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences kindly welcomed a new Dean into our family, Dean Russell J. DiGate. Dean DiGate is a highly experienced educator and academic leader. He attended the University of Rochester, where…

By: Katharine Cimmino, Editor-in-Chief & Bharat Kirthivasan, Co-Copy Editor – Frank A. Barile Ph.D. is a Professor of Clinical and Applied Toxicology at St. John’s University.  He is also a St. John’s University alumnus, having received a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science, an M.S. in Toxicology, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology.  At St. John’s University, Dr.…

By: Steve Soman, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – Q: I see that you got your PharmD at the University of the Pacific. Looking back, what made you choose pharmacy and how has this changed over the years of your practice (if it has)? A: I became a pharmacist because I like to care for others…

By:  Christina Tarantola, PharmD, PGY-1 Resident at Kings Pharmacy – The New York State Department of Health issued a health advisory on November 8, 2012 in response to Hurricane Sandy. The document outlined guidelines on recommended immunizations and disaster relief efforts for volunteers and the general public. Due to an increased risk of exposure to…

By: Mohamed Dungersi, Associate Student Editor – A recent We the People petition on the White House official website has reached the 25,000 signature threshold needed to trigger an official response.  The petition tilted “Recognize pharmacists as health care providers”, was initiated by the current editor in chief of the Rho Chi Post, Steve Soman.1 …

By: Lunbao (Jerry) Huang, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Donepezil, brand name Aricept®, is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor indicated as monotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.  Cholinergic deficiency in the cortex and basal forebrain contributes to cognitive deficits in these patients.  Donepezil reversibly, noncompetitively inhibits centrally active acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme responsible for…

By: Mohamed Dungersi & Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, Associate Student Editors – Each month, the editors at the Rho Chi Post have the opportunity to interview one or more of our faculty members. This month, we had the tremendous opportunity to interview the dean of St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, Dean…

By: Mohamed Dungersi, Associate Student Editor – Dr. William Maidhof is an Assistant Professor and Industry Professional in the Clinical Pharmacy Practice department of the St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. He is an alumnus of St. John’s University who graduated in 1999 with a BS in Pharmacy and again in…

By: Marie Huang – Each month, the Rho Chi Post has the wonderful opportunity to sit down with an inspiring leader among the student pharmacists here at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions – someone who is not afraid to stand apart from the crowd and can be the change he…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – In previous issues, we discussed prescription drug abuse and several bills currently on the floor of the NYS Legislature, sponsored by Sen. Hannon which addressed the issue. On February 7th, I sat down with Sen. Hannon’s director of communications, Mr. Phil Hecken, and his legislative aide, Mr. Timothy Broschardt to…

By: Marie Huang – Each month, the Rho Chi Post has the wonderful opportunity to sit down with an inspiring leader among the student pharmacists here at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions – someone who is not afraid to stand apart from the crowd and can be the change he…

By: Shannon Tellier – Dr. Tran is an assistant clinical professor at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, and a clinical pharmacy manager in Internal Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian: Columbia University Medical Center.  She received her BS in Public Health and Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel…

By Dr. Tina Kanmaz – Dr. Kanmaz is the Assistant Dean for Experiential Pharmacy Education and Associate Clinical Professor at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. Pharmacy practice residency training is a one-year program that serves as a bridge for the recent Doctor of Pharmacy graduate (with little to no independent…

By: Sum Lam, PharmD, CGP, BCPS, FASCP – Sum Lam, Pharm.D., CGP, BCPS, FASCP is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.  In conjunction with her full time appointment at St. John’s University, she is a clinical faculty at Geriatric…

By: Dr. Regina Ginzburg – Regina Ginzburg is an Associate Clinical Professor of St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. Her clinical site is at the Institute for Family Health (IFH) where she is an appointed faculty member for the Beth Israel Residency in Urban Family Health. She and Dr. See oversee…

By: Anon, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2012 – This year’s ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting took place in New Orleans, Louisiana from December 4 – 8, 2011.  It was a keystone moment for many pharmacy students, and especially for those in their final year and in pursuit of a residency, fellowship, or hospital staffing position around the…

By: Mark Shen, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2012 – Adding to Ms. Liaw’s article, my preparation for the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting included creating and printing my curriculum vitae, printing my transcript, searching for sites that I was interested in, and thinking of questions to ask the residents and residency directors.  I also had to contact…

By: Marie Huang – Each month, Rho Chi Post has the wonderful opportunity to sit down with an inspiring leader among the student pharmacists here at St. John’s University – someone who is not afraid to stand apart from the crowd and can be the change he or she wants to see in the world.…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – Dr. Elizabeth Palillo graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2006. She then worked as a manager at CVS for a year and a half, and eventually moved to New York, where she worked at two other CVS stores. Dr. Palillo then left CVS and joined Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as a…

By: Neal Shah – Dr. Ashby is a well-known Pharmacology professor for student pharmacists studying in their professional years. He graduated from the University of Louisville with a BA in Biology and Psychology in 1983. After obtaining his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Louisville in 1987, he continued his education by obtaining a…

By: Neal Shah – As the year comes to a close, many pharmacy students are turning their sights onto the process of residency interviews. Residencies provide a competitive edge and an educational fulfillment to future pharmacists who wish to engage in clinical practice. On October 26th, Rho Chi held its first Mock Residency Interviews, open…

By: Dr. Bernard Sorofman – Foreword: Dr. Bernard Sorofman is a pharmacy professor and Chair of Pharmacy Practice and Science, as well as the Executive Associate Dean at the College of Pharmacy for the University of Iowa. One of our student editors, Ebey P. Soman, had the privilege to attend and meet Dr. Sorofman at…