November 14, 2014

By: Jared Borlagdan, PharmD’17, on behalf of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Chi

From learning about networking and the ins and outs of professional attire to infectious diseases trivia, this semester the committees of Phi Delta Chi have been hard at work organizing programs designed to equip U-M College of Pharmacy students with the tools they need to succeed in both the classroom and in the real world of pharmacy. Highlights of our programming this semester include the CV workshop hosted by our Professionalism Committee in collaboration with Phi Lambda Sigma, and the annual Bug Drug Trivia hosted by our Scholarship Committee.

During the CV workshop on October 9, 2014, students were placed together in groups with mentors provided by both Phi Delta Chi and Phi Lambda Sigma. The event provided a forum for students to peer review their CVs and gain tips and knowledge from upperclassmen about the difficult and delicate process that goes into constructing a great CV. As for the annual Bug Drug Trivia event, it provided our third-year pharmacy students a great opportunity to review and test their knowledge of what is traditionally one of the most challenging topics in therapeutics.

In addition to the events Phi Delta Chi organizes for the college, the chapter has provided our brothers with numerous opportunities to serve our community, contribute to philanthropy, and cultivate the fraternal bonds that bind our brotherhood. This year, our Service Committee volunteered with the Special Olympics and the Ronald McDonald House, both of which were reported by brothers to be an extremely enjoyable and rewarding experiences. A P3 brother, Matt Paterini, PharmD’16, describes the experience, “It was a really great event! After sloppy joe’s and approximately twelve and a half pounds of corn later, the families were full and happy at the Ronald Mcdonald House.”

This semester, our Fundraising Committee expanded our philanthropic work outside of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and organized a special fundraiser for the month of October to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Furthermore, our Brotherhood Committee arranged a medley of fun events, from a night of laser tag to a day at a Tigers game, while our Publications Committee has been hard at work keeping record of all of these events. Our hope is that one day future brothers may look back on what was the fall 2014-2015 semester of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Chi.

One of the most integral parts of our semester had been initiating the Pledge Class of 2014 into our Chapter. The pledges spent the semester hard at work learning about and working closely with each pillar (committee) that comprise the values and mission of our fraternity, while getting to know the brothers themselves. The Pledge Class of 2014 was initiated into the Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Chi on November 15, 2014. Let us congratulate the new brothers on their achievement, and we look forward to seeing what they accomplish working alongside us in the coming winter semester.