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April 2016 OPA Extern Profile: Ashley Scherreik
Ashley Scherreik
E-mail: ascherreik@cedarville.edu
Pharmacy School: Cedarville University
Undergraduate degree/institution: B.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences/Cedarville University
Rotation Month at OPA: April 2016
How did you get interested in the profession of pharmacy?
My original dream was to be a vet, but I quickly realized I did not want to put any cherished family pets to sleep or neuter all species of animals. I was still interested in some type of medical career, but did not want to go the medical school route, and nursing had too many dirty jobs. I decided to go to Cedarville and major in chemistry, but then someone at church recommended that I consider pharmacy schools. I looked into pharmacy careers and thought it was a good fit. Cedarville was starting a pharmacy program, so I decided to try it out, and ended up loving it. I may not have taken the most traditional route, but I am so happy to be the profession now.
Why did you choose OPA as a rotation site?
I was on the Board of Trustees as a Student Trustee, and knew that I wanted to do a rotation with OPA ever since. I love the staff and their passion for our profession and desire to expand pharmacy services. I have had the opportunity to participate in Student Legislative Day in February and loved being able to talk directly to the legislators and their staff about bills to help pharmacy. OPA provides so many advocacy and networking opportunities, and I wanted to be a part of the great work they are doing.
What was the most significant or surprising experience at OPA?
Well, since I am an April student, a good deal of my time was focused on the Annual Conference and Trade Show. I have attended the conference as a student the last 3 years, and have been a student volunteer for two years. This year, I was one of 2 students in charge of all the student volunteers. Together, we coordinated over 40 students through the 3 days of the conference, and everything went great with only a couple minor hitches. So many students were willing to step in whenever an unexpected delay or gap in the schedule appeared. With over 1,000 pharmacists and students attending the conference, OPA could not have been such a success without our volunteers. I appreciate the sacrifices students made to make sure that other conference-goers had everything they needed. It was such a pleasure to work with everyone, and to see that all the planning that went into the event really paid off.
What other pharmacy associations/organizations do you belong to?
APhA-ASP
Hobbies:
I love being in the kitchen and testing out new recipes, especially for brownies and cheesecakes. If I’m not cooking, I enjoy watching cooking shows and competitions (especially Chopped!!) on Netflix. When I’m not doing something food related, I like to read non-school related books and drink coffee with friends. I also like to go hiking, but only if the weather is nice.