UIW Celebrates Pharmacy Month with the Feik School of Pharmacy
Every October, UIW and its Feik School of Pharmacy celebrate American Pharmacy Month. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) designated this month in order to honor the immense contributions that those in pharmacy make to their communities across the nation.
UIW is proud to have established the Feik School of Pharmacy in 2004 to offer those seeking an education in pharmacy an environment that could support their dreams. The school was founded “in recognition of the need to graduate a new generation of highly trained culturally-competent, caring pharmacists and patient advocates to serve communities across Texas and beyond, with a special emphasis on underserved populations.”
Through academically expansive courses and collaboration with the San Antonio community, the school has been able to give students the tools they need to pass their North American Pharmacist Licensure Examinations (NAPLEX) and Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examinations (MPJE), allowing them to go on to serve their communities.
The Feik School of Pharmacy is proud that its students consistently earn higher NAPLEX and MPJE first-time pass rates than the state and national averages. In 2022, 84.9% of first-time candidates from FSOP passed the MPJE in their first attempt, well above the national rate of 77.1%.
Marco Arguelles, a second-year pharmacy student and Doctor of Pharmacy candidate at the UIW Feik School of Pharmacy, was recognized during this year’s Pharmacy Month by the school.
When explaining his reasoning behind choosing to study at the school, he shared that he liked that the school strived to be a family first, before the pressures that come with maintaining grades and excelling in classes. This FSOP family is affectionally referred to as the “Pharmily” by students, faculty and staff.
“I’ve really grown to see that here. I know that these friendships will last a lifetime and these mentorships will last forever,” Arguelles shared.
He noted that one of his favorite things about the school is all the opportunities students receive and take advantage of. During their education, students engage in clinical rotations where they gain hands-on experience in the world of pharmacy. “We get to experience retail pharmacy after our first year and hospital pharmacy after our second year.”
The education and experience he has received as a learner at UIW have helped him secure a new job. Now, every other weekend, he gets the opportunity to get out into the community to help in any way that he can.
As someone who has already experienced and achieved so much, he hoped to offer some advice that could help current or aspiring pharmacy students. “The one thing I would tell pre-pharmacy students that I wish I knew before applying is to be confident in everything you know.”
He acknowledges that pharmacy school is challenging with exams and courses. The important thing is not to let the stress get the best of you and to be confident in yourself and what you know in order to succeed.
Dr. David Maize, Feik School of Pharmacy dean, shared, “I am very proud of the over thousand pharmacists that have graduated from the Feik School of Pharmacy. UIW pharmacists are known for their empathy, compassion and high level of patient care. We are also proud of the diverse populations that they serve, which reflects our student body. The FSOP is number 2 in the continental U.S. for graduating Hispanic pharmacists.”
In addition to Arguelles’ story, the school is proud to contribute to the success of other future-pharmacists who are now starting their careers, as well as better health outcomes for the communities that the school’s graduates serve.