Student shows talent in national competition

Sidra Sarker

nly in the first professional year of pharmacy school, Sidra Sarker is exhibiting her talent in patient counseling. Sarker advanced to a national patient counseling competition after winning a local competition sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists, or APhA-ASP.

"I am very excited about this opportunity," Sarker said before the event. "Patient counseling is one of my favorite aspects of skills lab, so I can't wait to compete in this aspect of pharmacy."

Sarker, an Oxford native, competed in the 2013 APhA-ASP National Patient Counseling Competition during the American Pharmacists Association's annual meeting and exposition earlier this month.

"I was impressed with Sidra's ability to turn a counseling session into a conversation," said Joseph Dikun, a graduate assistant in the Department of Pharmacy Administration and APhA-ASP co-adviser. "It didn't feel like she was checking off a list of required elements, but rather, she clearly is developing a personal style to approaching patient counseling opportunities."

During the local competition, students were given a prescription and 10 minutes to research pertinent information about the drug. Their resulting performances were videotaped and judged equally on content and presentation.

To prepare herself for the national competition, Sarker watched patient-counseling videos. David D. Allen, the pharmacy school's dean, was impressed with her resulting performance.

"Though Sidra didn't place in the national competition, I could see that she exhibited great talent in patient counseling – especially as a first-year student," he said. "I fully expect to see her excel in future competitions like this one."

Dikun said he hopes the opportunity to compete nationally will benefit not only Sarker but also her classmates.

"I hope (Sarker) brings her experience back to campus and encourages her classmates to continue developing the professional skills that will help their future patients make the best use of their medications," he said.