Community Ties
Alumnae Mackenzie Doherty, BS’19, MPH’22, PharmD’22 (Flor), left, and Courtney Rohde, BS’19, MPA’22, PharmD’22 (Flor), volunteer in the garden at the former Eric Johnson House in Morristown, N.J., in 2018.
Since its inception, the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has prioritized community service as a part of each program. Focusing on underserved communities, including homeless, LGBTQ+, pediatric, geriatric and veteran populations, students have gone into the community to extend compassion to those in need and to strengthen their capacity for empathy — a crucial part of working in team-based, patient-centered health care. Read more about select service experiences here.
“Each week, we spent Friday in a clinical or community setting, taking the time to speak with patients and often learning about the impact of their medical conditions on their daily lives,” says Melanie Olinsky, MS’24 (Flor). “In one of these experiences, the physician assistant students worked with (the department of) Veteran Affairs on the My Life, My Story project. Adding a small piece of a veteran’s life story to their medical record is a huge asset to care providers.”
Thousands of veterans at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals across the country have been interviewed by volunteers since the inception of the My Life, My Story program in 2013. The FDU cohort worked with veterans at VA health care system locations in East Orange and Lyons, N.J.
“In general, building trust between providers and patients is key in developing an effective treatment plan that patients can follow through on,” says Olinsky.
Second- and third-year pharmacy students worked alongside the Unbridled Heroes Project, a semester-long service project, to gain an understanding of the organization’s goals and outcomes.
The Unbridled Heroes Project connects horses — American Mustangs — with veterans, for a holistic bonding and healing experience.
Through the experience, students saw the impact an engaging, values-based, and patient-centered team had on veterans.
Beginning in 2020, FDU Health students started working with fifth-grade female students involved in an empowerment group. University students facilitated mentoring sessions on topics including body image, self-awareness, communication, conflict management, identifying role models, teamwork, celebrating differences and more, to encourage personal growth.
The fifth-grade students have also visited the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to tour the facilities and have participated in STEM projects.
Based on the success of this partnership, the local school involved expressed interest in expanding the program to include young male students. That program launched in the Fall 2023 semester.
“Spending time with the lovely residents of the Brighton Gardens Senior Living Facility increased my desire to provide quality health services to patients as a future pharmacist,” says pharmacy student Gabriella Quain. Quain says she learned that a person’s mere presence can make a difference. She also expressed a willingness to learn and gained the trust of the geriatric residents.
“The more engaged I was with the residents, the more they found me trustworthy enough to share their past life situations, and the more knowledge and insights I gained from their life journeys.”
Students have also volunteered with Give Kids the World; the Eric Johnson House; EDGE NJ; the Museum of Early Trades; at vaccine mega sites, and at various hospice, assisted living and YMCA locations.