A Wonderful Week

Dear readers,

My name is Festina Balidemaj and I am a fourth year pharmacy student at the University of Minnesota. Much like the other students who have attended this rotation I will give you a short introduction about myself and my thoughts and expectations form this rotation. I was born and grew up in the city of Prishtina, in Kosovo. I attended my undergraduate studies at Hamline University in Saint Paul, where I studied Psychology and Biology. My interest in pharmacy started after getting a job at a small family-owned pharmacy during the beginning of my college career.

During my years at the College of Pharmacy I was not excessively involved in extracurricular activities with MPhA and thought that having a fourth year rotation that will give me a great introduction into the insight of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association would be a great experience and it would help to direct me on possible future opportunities as a practicing pharmacist.

Thus far into the rotation, it has already been a great experience to get to know our preceptor, Julie Johnson, as well as her role in the Minnesota Pharmacists Association. During the first day at this rotation we also had a chance to take a trip to the Capitol and meet with Matthew Lemke, the MPhA lobbyist. He has been a great representative of the Association and is a very knowledgeable resource for the world of pharmacy.  On the second and third day we had the chance to go to the Saint Paul Capitol again and this time sit in the Senate gallery and listen in on the hearings. It was a great experience to see how the bills are presented and passed, or amendments not adopted, and so on.

In addition, we attended a couple of meetings within the MPhA organization and had the chance to experience how the board members representing MPhA are elected. Thus far, the rotation has been a great experience and I am looking forward to learning much more in the next four weeks.