Twenty-nine students from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy were recognized as future leaders of the profession when they were inducted into the Rho Chi Society, the national academic honor society in pharmacy.
The induction ceremony was held at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center and was attended by family members and friends of the honorees as well as faculty and administrators from the School of Pharmacy. The new members of LECOM’s chapter of the society, Gamma Tau, received a Rho Chi key to symbolize their induction into the society, which strives to promote the advancement of the pharmaceutical sciences and to recognize excellence in scholarly achievement.
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| Twenty-nine students from the LECOM School of Pharmacy were inducted into the Rho Chi Society, the national academic honor society in pharmacy. |
Membership in Rho Chi is highly competitive and is regarded as a privilege accorded to those student pharmacists who distinguish themselves by their academic and professional success. Students must rank in the top 20 percent of their class, based on grade point average.
Anthony Fredo, PharmD, a 2014 graduate of the LECOM School of Pharmacy, gave the ceremony’s keynote address. Dr. Fredo, currently a Post-Graduate Year 1 Pharmacy Resident at Millcreek Community Hospital, was himself a member of Rho Chi as a student pharmacist.
During his remarks, Dr. Fredo reminded the inductees of the society’s vision of its members as lifelong intellectual leaders in pharmacy. “It is essential for you to remember this recognition is not something that stops once you graduate; it will be part of you for your professional career,” he said. “I encourage and challenge you to continue to pursue the highest level of intellectual excellence and to be a leader in the pharmacy profession.”
Dr. Fredo also spoke to the inductees about six key principles that should guide them as pharmacists: caring, honesty and integrity, attitude, commitment, leadership, and stewardship. “Commitment is essential,” he noted. “We all made a commitment when we decided to enroll in pharmacy school. We must be committed to serve our patients, to the mission of Rho Chi, to lifelong learning, and to each other. Every day, we must be leaders. Leadership conveys a sense of purpose requiring vision and planning.”
Dr. Fredo also shared with the students the importance of the health and safety of their patients, above all else. “While it is critical to strive for balance in life, being a professional means that our patients always come first,” he said. “As a healthcare professional, it is my duty and obligation to put patients before my friends and family… this commitment to caring for patients builds trust and demonstrates how we can act as stewards of our profession. By doing so, we will be setting the example for our profession and for our patients. Even if you do not change the world, you can change the world for your patients.”
The new inductees include:
- From the School of Pharmacy Class of 2015: Stephanie Benedict, Bethany Crouse, Cindy Duan, Alexandre Ivanov, Ioi Lin, Youssef Naim, Roshni Patel.
- From the School of Pharmacy Class of 2016: Sarah Adeniran-Obe, John Aleman, Esther Baah, Ngum Che, Chanel Choulagh, BreAnne DeMarco, Anthony D’Urso, Cristotle Eduardo, Teng Eduardo, April Elling, Elizabeth Feldman, Lindsay Gasper, David Marchewka, Rebecca Morcheid, Corinne Mueller, Kristi Mraz, Noor Nakkash, Rakesh Patel, Sean Ray, Ashley Sanders, Brandon Sing, Taylor Warmbrodt.