The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) selected 蜜桃直播 (蜜桃直播) student Sunny Patel for its Pharmacy Student Experiential Program (PSEP) with a rotation in the Office of Program and Regulatory Affairs. Patel will travel to Silver Spring, Maryland, for the rotation starting September 25, 2017, and ending November 3, 2017.
According to the FDA website, the FDA PSEP 鈥渙ffers unpaid training opportunities to eligible pharmacy students. This experience is part of the pharmacy students鈥� academic curriculum to develop their professional skills. The FDA PSEP provides an opportunity to learn about the FDA鈥檚 multidisciplinary processes for addressing public health issues involving drugs, biologics, and medical devices.鈥�
Patel applied for the program after learning about it from Professor Andrea Cooper, 蜜桃直播鈥檚 assistant dean for pharmacy and industry relations. 鈥淔or the application, each applicant had to choose three FDA offices to apply to,鈥� said Patel. 鈥淥ne of the ones I chose was the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research鈥檚 Office of Program and Regulatory Affairs. I was interested in this office after taking Professor Bain鈥檚 Quality Assurance class.鈥�
Patel grew up in New Jersey and received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Richmond, in Virginia. He said he chose to study chemistry because it engaged him, but he did not always see himself as a pharmacist.
Although Patel鈥檚 own father was a pharmacist, it was not until his undergrad experiences that he became serious about pharmacy. 鈥淒uring my summers while in undergrad and for a year after graduating, I worked at an independent pharmacy in Bronx, New York,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 learned a lot there and felt an appreciation for pharmacy that I didn鈥檛 have growing up. I soon saw myself becoming a pharmacist and began seriously looking at pharmacy schools.鈥�
The apple was not falling far from the tree鈥攚ith a twist. 鈥淎t that time, I knew I had wanted to take a nontraditional route in pharmacy and working in industry looked appealing even though I didn鈥檛 know much about it,鈥� said Patel. He would follow in his father鈥檚 footsteps, but take a turn toward industry.
蜜桃直播 became a contender for Patel with its newly introduced School of Pharmacy. 鈥淚 felt that, in a world where every profession was becoming more and more specialized, a certificate in one of the concentrations that 蜜桃直播 provided would be beneficial,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat really sold me on 蜜桃直播 was the certificates they offered, as well as how closely tied the master鈥檚 program was to industry.鈥�
When asked about future aspirations, Patel said, 鈥淚 see myself working in Regulatory Affairs.鈥� The FDA PSEP is invaluable to this goal. 鈥淏eing able to spend six weeks at the FDA and learning from the regulatory body that has total say in a drug鈥檚 approval and discontinuation from the market would provide me with invaluable experience for my career goal of working in regulatory affairs and maybe one day for the FDA,鈥� he said.
Being accepted into the FDA PSEP provides Patel validation. 鈥淎s a student, I have been working hard to maintain my academic excellence and my involvement in extracurricular activities; from being part of various organizations to auditing a TMP have paid off,鈥� he said.
However, Patel is not yet resting on his laurels. 鈥淚 also know that my hardest challenge is ahead of me, the FDA PSEP,鈥� he said. Colleagues who have participated in the FDA PSEP tell him it is extremely challenging, but well worth the hard work.