PPN Spring 2017

The Pulse Point

Spring 2017 Edition INSIDE THIS ISSUE

A Publication of the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Events Calendar ........................ 2
Office for Student Development/EOF Program Student Spotlight ...................... 4
EOF Gala Highlights ................ 5
NEW SEMESTER, NEW BEGINNINGS! Sleep Tips…………..…………..…...10

We hope that everyone is refreshed and re-energized from Winter
Break! It is time to turn over a new leaf and begin writing the pages of
a new chapter in your academic journey. Focus on your strengths and
hone in on them as you tackle on new challenges ahead. Tune in to
your weaknesses and be proactive in setting new goals for yourself.
Empower yourself with positive thoughts and the belief that this will
be your best semester yet! We are here to support you along your
journey. It is our hope that you will continue to take advantage of the
vast resources and opportunities offered through our office and put
your best foot forward always. It’s time to start fresh and it is time to
strive to be your personal best! Stay focused and motivated! We are
here to cheer you on! Best wishes this semester!

Regards,

~The OSD/EOF Staff

SPECIAL POINTS OF
INTEREST

 Financial aid resources and
online tools

 PP2 Survival Tips

 Fall Flashback and More!

THE OFFICE FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

Feb. 13 CAPS Sponsored Mental Health
Workshop
Nancy Cintron
BSC 122A 6:00 PM—7:00 PM Associate Dean of Student
Services and EOF Director
Feb. 27 Professionalism/Interviewing Tel: 848-445-6280
Workshop for PP2 Students [email protected]

LSC Board Room 6:30 PM—7:30 PM Melissa Vargas Columna
Senior EOF Counselor
Mar. 3 A Day in the Life of a Pharmacy 848-445-6257
Student [email protected]
Appointments: Www.tinyurl.com/
PH Lounge and the Rutgers Zone Melissa-eof

Mar. 11—19 RU Spring Break

Mar. 20 Last Day to Drop with a W Grade

Mar. 29 XAE Induction Ceremony Jerlissa Rivas
Apr. 3 Program Development Specialist
Apr. 4 BSC 174 6:00 PM—8:00 PM 848-445-6259
Apr. 7 [email protected]
Apr. 28 Summer Reimbursement Applicat- Appointments: Www.tinyurl.com/
ions Due eofjr
May 1 APPE Rotation Roundtable
Betty Vega Cash
BSC 120AB 6:30 PM—7:30 PM Business Specialist/EOF Admin-
istrator
Senior EOF Awards Ceremony Tel: 848-445-6263
[email protected]
Georgian Court University—10AM
EOF Student Awards Banquet— Michelle Segovia
Work Study/Biology Tutor
Livingston Faculty Dining Commons [email protected]
6:00 PM

Last Day of Regular Class

May 2 and 3 Reading Days

May 4 EOF Summer Program Orientation

May 5-11 Final Exams Period Spring Office Hours
May 16 Pharmacy Graduation Monday—Thursday 8:30 AM—5:30 PM
Friday 8:30 AM—5:00 PM
College Avenue Gym 10AM

2

APPOINTMENT PROCEDURE

Regular Appointment Schedule: BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

 PP1, PP2 and P1 Students – Biweekly REGULAR TUTORING AND

 P2 - P4 Students - Monthly SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION

 Academic Probation Students - As Mandated SESSIONS
by your assigned counselor/advisor
The Office for Student Development is
Appointment Policy: committed to helping you reach your
goals. But the ultimate commitment
 All EOF students are required to meet regularly comes from you! It is your responsibility
with their respective counselor/academic to attend Supplemental Instruction/
advisor. Allow at least 30 minutes for your Tutoring Sessions on a regular basis as
session. mandated by your counselor. The
benefits are amazing!
 Select an available time slot on your assigned
counselor/academic advisor Google calendar.  Your counselor will listen attentively
to any problem or issue that you
 Be on time for your appointment as a courtesy face.
to staff and other students who may have
scheduled an appointment after you.  Your tutor is knowledgeable about
resources available in the University
 If you are running late, let your assigned to assist you.
counselor/advisor know as much in advance as
possible.  Your tutor is able to provide solid
academic advice regarding courses.
 If you are unable to keep your appointment, go
into the Google calendar and reschedule.  Your tutor will provide you with tips
on how to study more effectively.
 Do not schedule an appointment for the
same day that you are making the appointment.  Your tutor can work with you
The latest you should schedule an appointment strategically to help you set and
for the following day is by 4:00 PM the day achieve academic and personal
prior. goals.

 Do not forget that EOF funding is contingent  Students who attend sessions
upon making and keeping your appointments. regularly with do better academically
and are more motivated.

 Attending sessions are a condition of
your EOF funding!

Tip: Make sure your Google account settings reflect 3
Eastern Standard Time (EST)! Some accounts are not
set on the correct time zone, resulting in scheduling
errors.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

DEAN’S LIST FALL 2016

AMRO AHMED, PP2

SONAL AGARWAL, P3

JUAN ALVARADO, PP2

PATRICIA BENITO, P3

NAANA BOACHIE, P1 Hok Chun Tang Basharat Chaudary Masami Wakabayashi
KANG WOO LEE, PP1
SHAHJADI MUNNA, P1 Outstanding Academic Outstanding Achievement Academic Achievement
Achievement

JIMMY PHUONG, PP2 Each year the EOF Board of Directors and the New Jersey Office of the Secretary
OSAMAH RASHEED, P1 of Higher Education honor graduating EOF students who have demonstrated
HAMZA SARWAR, P3 exceptional achievement during their college careers. Congratulations to our
outstanding seniors! They will be honored at a special recognition ceremony on
JINGLAN WU, PP2 April 7th at Georgian Court University alongside other graduating seniors
representing EOF Programs all over the state of New Jersey.

The Academic Achievement Award is given to seniors whose Cumulative GPA is
between 3.2 and 3.49.

The Outstanding Academic Achievement Award is given to seniors whose Cumulative
GPA is between 3.5 and 3.99.

The Outstanding Achievement Award is given to an exceptional senior who
exemplifies the mission and spirit of the EOF Program.

A Special Thank You to Shahjadi Munna, P1, was the
our Spring Pulse Point recipient of an IPHO scholarship
Contributor: award and was honored at the 2016
Educational Opportunity Fund
Shahjadi Munna Endowment Gala. IPHO (Industry
Pharmacists Organization) was
founded by Dr. James Alexander as
the first professional organization for
industry pharmacists. For more
information on IPHO please visit
www.industrypharmacists.org.

Left to Right: Tonia Nesheiwat, EMSOP

EOF Class of 2008, and Shahjadi Munna,

4 P1.

EOF ENDOWMENT SCHOLARSHIP GALA

With the help of
dedicated alumni,
faculty and friends
of the EOF Program at the Ernest
Mario School of Pharmacy, Dean
Nancy Cintron established the
Educational Opportunity
Endowment to address the need
for increasing support of our
students. The second gala was held
on November 16, 2016 at the
Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick to
kick off the fundraising campaign.
Thank you Dean Nancy, the Gala
Committee, sponsors, donors and
supporters for their dedication to
the success of our EOF program!

Our Gala keynote speaker was the Honorable Judge Esther Left to Right: Honorable Judge Esther Salas,
Salas. A graduate of Rutgers University, she was sworn in by Dean Nancy Cintron, and Omar Miqbel,
as the first Hispanic to serve as a United States Magistrate EOF Class of 2009
Judge for the District of New Jersey. On June 14, 2011, the
United States Senate unanimously confirmed President
Obama’s nomination of Ms. Salas as United States District
Judge making her the first female Hispanic to serve as United
States District Judge for the District of New Jersey. In
addition, our very own Pharmacy EOF alumnus, Dr. Omar
Miqbel, was honored with the Humanitarian Award for his
dedication and support of the EOF program as well as his
passion and commitment for improving the lives of
members of the community through quality healthcare.

ADVICE FOR PP2 STUDENTS BY SHAHJADI MUNNA, P1

Congratulations! You have made it to the final semester of your pre-
professional years! While it doesn’t get any easier, I can assure you that
the pre-professional years are just as rigorous and having made it this far,
it only means you can push yourself further. Before I get into the classes, I
want to emphasize the importance of the summer immediately following
your PP2 year. Starting next year you will have rotations to add to your
summer schedule, so this uninterrupted summer break is a great
opportunity for you to branch outside of academics to engage in
community service, part-time jobs, or internships. Anything is better than
nothing, so keep your options open! It doesn’t necessarily have to be
strictly pharmacy related. Email your professors about research openings,
apply to your local pharmacies for a pharmacy technician job, or look to
your community for opportunities to get involved. I wish you all the best!

Organic Chemistry II

Office hours are key! The Organic Chemistry department has one of the best tutoring programs at Rutgers. Take
advantage of all the different tutors and all the different times they are available. Popular tutors like Chirag and
Akash are great if you keep up with the material, but if you have questions you don’t like to ask in big groups or
you fall behind, going to the not-as-popular tutors will allow you to get a more personalized session. Do as many
of the past exams you can and repeat them, if time permits. Once you exhaust all the practice exams available, a
good strategy is to start the final exams and do the questions you have covered in class. Google topics for sup-
plementary practice and exams from different universities. I am also an Organic Chemistry tutor, so feel free to
reach out if you need additional help at [email protected].

Organic Chemistry Lab

Lab is difficult but the professor is really good. She explains the concepts really well so it is important to go to
class. The quizzes are very tricky but everything is in the notes she covers, so spend time reviewing them. Keep
your old quizzes, so you can study from them for the final.

Systems Physiology

If you haven’t already, try and join a transcription group. It is hard to understand everything from just listening
to the lecture. I recommend the transcription only for half the course. You can stick to regular note-taking when
you have Professor Golfetti because her notes are very comprehensive. The first exam is easiest and most
straightforward, so try your best! Professor Merrill is very fair. The final is cumulative and difficult, you will NEED
to start early. It is hard to juggle Orgo and Systems at the same time, but it’s imperative that you keep up with
both. There is Systems tutoring that not a lot of people go to, but I found them very helpful.

6

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PHARMACY STUDENT

I n November, our office hosted A
Day in the Life of a Pharmacy
Student, a one-day on-campus event that
consisted of an information session on the
Pharm.D. program, a student panel, campus
tours of the Busch and Livingston campuses,
opportunities to network with other students,
and fun, community building activities. We are
hosting the program again this Spring on March
3rd and have sent out invitations to 9th and
10th grade high school students. Our Fall
participants represented high schools from
Bayonne, Carteret, Somerset, Paterson, Perth
Amboy, and Jersey, which are among the feeder
schools for our EOF program in Pharmacy. As a
matter of fact, past participants have even been
accepted for admission to the Ernest Mario
School of Pharmacy! We are extremely excited
about our upcoming Spring event. The success
of our programs would not be possible without
your assistance so please consider helping us
out! Students from your high school may be
there! Your EOF Program is counting on you so
please sign up today!

Volunteers Needed for:

 Set Up (2—3 Volunteers)

 Registration (2—3 Volunteers)

 Icebreakers (2—3 Volunteers)

 Student Panelists (4—6 Volunteers)

 Campus Tour Guides (2—3 Volunteers)

 Shadowing (As many as possible!)

 Chaperones for a night of fun at the

7

I’M ON ACADEMIC PROBATION...NOW WHAT?

There are several things you can do to minimize your chances of  MANAGE YOUR TIME MORE EFFICIENTLY
having an additional action placed on your file by the Scholastic
Standing Committee. Remember that that you must be fully You must learn how to effectively manage your time in order to
committed to following these guidelines if you wish to improve your balance your studies along with work, extracurricular activities,
academic performance. social time, and other personal activities and responsibilities you
have. Use a planner, calendar, mobile App, or Post-It notes to help
 COUNSELING you organize, prioritize and manage your daily tasks.

The first thing you should do is schedule an appointment to meet  SET AND PURSUE NEW GOALS
with your counselor/academic advisor. Your counselor will work
closely with you and can provide you with the following: You should get into the habit of setting several goals for yourself,
such as daily goals, weekly goals, and semester goals. Put your goals
Solid academic advice regarding courses in writing and come up with an engaging plan to achieve them. You
Tips on how to study more effectively should use your planner to help steer you on track. Share your goals
Additional resources available on campus to assist you with your counselor.
Strategies to enhance your self-confidence and attitude toward
Using a GPA calculator can give you a better sense of your progress
coursework towards your GPA goals. You can use a GPA calculator to help you
Dealing with feelings of embarrassment, pessimism, visualize how close you are to achieving your desired GPA. You can
also use it to calculate the grades you need to attain in each course
disappointment in order to achieve you GPA goals. There are several calculators
You should continue to meet with a counselor on a regular basis. available online. Be careful and make sure these calculators are
based on the Rutgers University grade point scale.
 FINE-TUNE YOUR STUDY HABITS
 DEVISE AN ACTION PLAN
Being placed on academic probation should raise a red flag about
your study habits. Consider the following ways to help cultivate In order to successfully work your way out of probation, you must
more productive study strategies: be an active participant in your learning experience. You must
devise a plan of action to help you work toward your goals. To start,
 Determine study strategies that work best for each course ask yourself the following questions:

 Consider forming study groups or transcription groups  What are my goals for each course?

 Take time to review notes after and before lectures  How will I structure my study time?

 Avoid cramming and pulling all-nighters  What new study strategies will I employ?

 Devise a study plan for each major exam  How can I eliminate distractions?

 Set a study schedule for each course  How will I keep myself motivated?

 Asses your strengths and weakness in each course  How much time will I spend preparing for classes?

 Discover ways to maintain a positive attitude towards your  When will I attend office hours?
learning experience
 What classes do I need to spend more time on?
 ASK FOR HELP!
 How frequently will I meet with my counselor?
Remember that in order to get help you must ask for help. You
must learn to overcome being hesitant about asking for help and  When I will review my notes?
actively seek out help when needed. This includes class
participation, asking questions during lecture, and attending your  How will I communicate difficulties in a course?
instructor’s office hours. Going to office hours provides the
opportunity to clarify concepts and express concerns in a more Put all your ideas in writing and present them to a counselor. Start
private setting. It also allows the instructor to get to know you your ideas off with the words “I WILL.” Most importantly - put your
better. ideas into ACTION!

Good luck! The Office for Student Development/EOF Staff is here
to assist you in your journey toward academic excellence!

8

MINIMIZING DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS

Distraction Data SELF DISCIPLINE STRATEGIES

A study published in the Journal of 1. Set a Timer: Limit time spent on social media
Media Education reported some
alarming statistics about digital and other non-academic activities and maximize
distractions among college students: your academic priorities. It’s OK to check your
notifications and feeds every so often. But one
 Students tend to check their digital notification can easily to lead to minutes even
devices, particularly, their hours of precious study time wasted. Learn to
smartphones, an average of have more self-control. We do not need to be
connected all the time!
11.43 times during class for non-
2. Block Notifications: You do not always
classroom activities.
need to know the instant someone comments or
 12% do texting, emailing, reacts to your posts! Frequently checking Social
checking the time or other Media notifications leads to the vicious cycle of
time wasted. You can use Apps such as Freedom,
activities in class more than 30 RescueTime, Write Room or AntiSocial if you are
having issues with self-control.
times a day.
3. Use it as a Reward: Once you have finished
 Students spend a fifth of their
important tasks for the day, you can indulge but if
time in class doing things on their you use a timer, you will more likely make exer-
devices that have nothing to do cising self-control a habit.
with their school work.
4. Move Social Media Apps to the Sec-
 The most prevalent form of ond Page of your Smartphone: This will

distraction was texting minimize the temptation of checking if the apps
are not immediately seen.
 Social networking was
Reference: http://www.biancavanmeeuwen.com.au/stop-wasting-time-
reported by 70 percent of social-media-efficient-effective/

respondents, Web surfing by
42 percent and game-playing

by 10 percent.

 The time spent in non-learning
activities, reported McCoy in a
prepared statement, "can add up."
During the typical four years
students spend in college
classrooms, he calculated, they
may be distracted on average for

"two-thirds of a school
year."

 The main reason they continue

their digital habits: "To stay
connected" and "fight
boredom," both specified by 63

percent of respondents.

Source: https://campustechnology.com/
articles/2016/01/20/research-college-students-more-

dist9racted-than-ever.aspx

WHAT IS SLEEP HYGIENE? Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene refers to sleep practices, habits and environmental factors that are necessary for getting quali- 10 Tr
ty restorative sleep. Very few of us get education on effective sleep practices and many of us take sleep for
granted.

WHY DOES SLEEP MATTER IN COLLEGE?

Sleep may be one of the most important factors for student success and often one of the most neglected.
Many students will sacrifice sleep in order to work, play, or get school projects completed. However, although
most people think they can function fine when hey don’t get sleep, the truth is they cannot. Research shows
that people who are deprived of sleep perform worse on thinking and performance tasks than those who are
not sleep deprived. Furthermore, those who were sleep deprived judged that they performed better on the
task than they actually did. In comparison, the non-sleep deprived group accurately judged how well they did
on the task. What this shows is that people lacking sleep think they are doing just fine when in fact, they are
not. Losing sleep often results in lower performance on tasks, which frustrates and aggravates the sleep de-
prived student who thinks his or her performance is just fine.

SLEEP AFFECTS YOUR PERFORMANCE

MEMORY: Research shows that people who sleep seven hours a night do better on memory tasks than those
who do not. Individuals will vary in terms of how much sleep is the ‘right’ amount, but in general most col-

lege students need at least six to eight hours a night.

RECOVERY TIME: Avoid late weekend nights when you have an important project or exam during the coming
week. The effects of missing sleep can last for several days and it takes your body time to recover. When you
have a large project due or an important exam, save your brain’s energy and memory power by keeping a con-
sistent sleep schedule during the entire week, including the weekend.

RECHARGE WITH POWER NAPS: Naps are an excellent way to recharge your brain and give you an energy burst.
However, there is a specific nap etiquette you should follow to make sure naps are working for you rather than
against you. Naps later than 3 pm will interfere with your nightly sleeping schedule, so avoid taking later even-
ing naps. Naps longer than 20 minutes will leave you feeling groggy, but naps that are 15 to 20 minutes will
leave you refreshed and ready to move forward with your day.

HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY SLEEP HYGIENE?
1. Create a nightly routine that helps prepare your body for a good
night’s sleep. This should include relaxing activities such as reading or
listening to mellow music.

2. Avoid doing anything in your bed other than sleeping and resting.

3. Use caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol carefully.

4. Exercise is an important part of keeping a healthy lifestyle, and regu-
lar exercise will help you sleep better each night. However, the timing
of that exercise is important to ensure the optimal effect on your sleep
schedule. The best time to engage in exercise that will improve sleep is
in the afternoon. I

5. Most importantly, make sleep a priority. You must schedule sleep like
any other daily activity, so put it on your "to-do” list and cross it off
every night.

Source: http://www.usu.edu/arc/idea_sheets/pdf/sleep_hygiene.pdf

FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES

Rutgers Office of Financial Aid financialaid.rutgers.edu

HESAA hesaa.org

FAFSA fafsa.ed.gov

Federal Student Aid studentaid.ed.gov

Student Loans and Forms Studentloans.gov

College Budgeting www.debt.org/students/college-

HESAA has an
interactive online tool
to help you understand
how student loan debt

affects your future.
The module includes

sample monthly
budgets and

repayments. Log in to
www.hesaa.org to
learn more!

*QUICKLY SEND
DOCUMENTS

DIRECTLY TO HESAA

Apply online at www.hesaa.org Online upload tool
available on

www.hesaa.org

11

FALL FLASHBACK

Fall Social/Technology Sharing Session

EOF Endowment Gala

XAE Adopt A Family Program White Coat Ceremony Pharmacy Student By
Hey! Watch the hair! Hey! Pay attention! Day...Dessert
Entrepreneur By Night!

P1 Success Session

XAE Bake Sale XAE Community Outreach Dr. Abouelkheir’s Lecture

12

PHARMACY PHUN

RESOURCES Getting help at Rutgers...

Don’t suffer in silence. Don’t To learn more about RHS-CAPS, go to http://
be afraid to make that call! rhscaps.rutgers.edu.

Main Office on College Ave. For medical assistance, call Rutgers Health Services at
17 Senior Street 848-932-7402 for all appointments. To learn more about
RHS services, go to http://rhsmedical.rutgers.edu.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Cook/Douglass Office: In case of emergencies during office hours, call CAPS at
61 Nichol Avenue 848-932-7884 or go to 17 Senior Street to be seen as
soon as possible or call 911.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
For all appointments call: When CAPS is closed, call Acute Psychiatric Services (APS)
at 732-235-5700. APS provides 24-hour emergency
848-932-7884 services for local residents.

For more information on services Or call the National Suicide
and resources offered please visit Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-
TALK (8255) or the NJ Hope Line
rhscaps.rutgers.edu
at 855-654-6735.

Office for Student Stay in the loop! Text @pharmacye to 81010 to
Development receive text message reminders from the OSD/EOF
Office. Standard text message rates apply.
Educational Opportunity
Fund Program Visit remind.com to learn more!

160 Frelinghuysen Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854
848-445-6263
pharmacy.rutgers.edu

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