On May 1, over 70 College of Pharmacy students gathered for a dinner with Dean Donald Letendre to celebrate the peer mentorships that help establish a support system within the college. In the first official year of the Professional Outreach Development Societies (PODS) peer mentorship program, 26 mentors logged over 250 hours working with first-year pharmacy mentees.

As the Dean said, “PODS is not an association. It’s all about creating a sense of family, a sense of learning. It is very important to work together to create a new culture.” The mentors in attendance were recognized for their contributions to their mentees’ successes throughout the year.

Often, mentors acquire just as much knowledge from their mentees as they teach. Annie Shelton, a third-year pharmacy student, declared, “The relationship is not one-sided, I also learned a lot through this experience.”

The College of Pharmacy offers a three-tiered mentorship experience for students. In his or her first year, each student is paired with a peer, faculty, and professional mentor. This helps the student to draw upon varied experiences for guidance in their educational and professional journey. To find out more, please visit the Professional Mentors area of our website.