Pharmacy Legislative Day?

[Sparda29]

So I went to Albany today for the Pharmacy day that they have. Holy ****, why are all the pharmacy students dressed up as if this is an interview.

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[Carboxide]

So I went to Albany today for the Pharmacy day that they have. Holy ****, why are all the pharmacy students dressed up as if this is an interview.

Because any interaction with pharmacy faculty is an interview for pre-pharmacy students.

 

[Sparda29]

Because any interaction with pharmacy faculty is an interview for pre-pharmacy students.

There were no pre-pharmacy students there. It was just P1-P4 students talking with legislators.

 

[bacillus1]

For ours, we all wore white coats. I don't know why you'd wear a suit, especially since you'll most likely meet with staffers, not the legislators themselves.

 

[Sparda29]

For ours, we all wore white coats. I don't know why you'd wear a suit, especially since you'll most likely meet with staffers, not the legislators themselves.

There was a lot of that too. IMO, I just looked out of place when I showed up there. I thought I would be okay with a dress shirt and jeans. (Actually thought pharmacy day is more of a protest in front of the capitol building.)

 

[Doctor M]

So I went to Albany today for the Pharmacy day that they have. Holy ****, why are all the pharmacy students dressed up as if this is an interview.

We were always told to wear professional dress for Albany Day...Jeans??Nice...

 

[bacillus1]

There was a lot of that too. IMO, I just looked out of place when I showed up there. I thought I would be okay with a dress shirt and jeans. (Actually thought pharmacy day is more of a protest in front of the capitol building.)

Well, it's nice to dress up when persuading legislators (or staffers) to vote on bills how we want them to.

 

[Sparda29]

We were always told to wear professional dress for Albany Day...Jeans??Nice...

The funny thing was I asked our dean if I could take my car and follow the school's charter bus there. I was told no because of potential liability issues and whatnot. If I had my car, I could have quickly changed into something better (I always have a set of professional clothes in my car.)

 

[ttopping]

For ours, we all wore white coats. I don't know why you'd wear a suit, especially since you'll most likely meet with staffers, not the legislators themselves.

Because we're a professional program, and we want to appear professional. I don't think I saw any pharmacists/deans/assistant deans with dispensing coats on, only students, because suits look more professional. We had people just wear shirts and ties too, but I feel that wearing a white coat around for no reason other than to shout out "hey I go to pharmacy school" looks tacky. Just my opinion

 

[Sparda29]

I don't know if I'm gonna go next year, not really into the whole lobbying thing. Now if it was a mass protest with like 1000 pharmacy students, etc rallying outside the Capitol building, I'd go for that.

 

[bwsalvas]

Sparda-

I met with 4 assemblymen and 1 staffer yesterday. I can promise you this: I would have felt like an idiot in anything but a suit and tie.

Less than a suit was inappropriate- They all knew who we were- and if they didn't we introduced ourselves appropriately at each meeting anyway. That is why I found the dispensing jackets worn by the other schools distracting and unnecessary.

We met with legislators and their staffs. We took up their time to support the issues we care about. There are expectations that must be fulfilled if we expect to be taken seriously.

Why would you jeopardize the presentation of your message by not dressing appropriately? You can say you don't care about the issues, but I can promise you that even in the land of CVS Medicaid reimbursement will affect you.

Each time you see a public figure on TV or in public they are in a suit- It is the standard in government. It is a social norm. A suit is professional dress. A suit was appropriate yesterday.

 

[Praziquantel86]

The fact that this is even a topic is mind-boggling. How on earth is the suit a questionable dress decision? I can't believe your school let you attend like that. Was your dean wearing a suit? Was any person you interacted with, other than similarly poorly dressed students, wearing anything other than a suit?

Have some respect for the profession and for those that are in it with you.

 

[IrishHammer]

This is what happens when schools don't have dress codes!

 

[Sparda29]

The fact that this is even a topic is mind-boggling. How on earth is the suit a questionable dress decision? I can't believe your school let you attend like that. Was your dean wearing a suit? Was any person you interacted with, other than similarly poorly dressed students, wearing anything other than a suit?

Have some respect for the profession and for those that are in it with you.

I actually had no idea that there was a dress code, I never RSVPed to the event so they never sent me the information about dress code and whatnot, I just showed up early that morning, saw that there was a charter bus in front of the school and decided that I'd just go to Albany instead of going to class and lab. If the school had let me drive my car and follow the bus there, I would have been able to change.

Also, I didn't know that we'd be meeting with people, I thought it was just going to be like a few thousand angry pharmacy students and pharmacists standing in front of the capitol with signs, yelling and whatnot.

 

[Praziquantel86]

I actually had no idea that there was a dress code, I never RSVPed to the event so they never sent me the information about dress code and whatnot, I just showed up early that morning, saw that there was a charter bus in front of the school and decided that I'd just go to Albany instead of going to class and lab. If the school had let me drive my car and follow the bus there, I would have been able to change.

Also, I didn't know that we'd be meeting with people, I thought it was just going to be like a few thousand angry pharmacy students and pharmacists standing in front of the capitol with signs, yelling and whatnot.

So you were ignorant of what you were doing, yet you decided to do it anyway. You have to realize that your actions have consequences for the people around you.

Legislators thought less of your classmates, school and pharmacy because of your ignorance. Seeing as how your school is from New York City, it's likely that you had appointments with the people who have been stonewalling pharmacy legislation for years. Kudos to you.

 

[Ackj]

I didn't meet with any staffers, just assemblymen. We were all told to wear our white coats (and obviously formally under the coat). I think its professional, because that's what people in the profession wear. Isn't that the definition?

Anyhow, the whole CDTM thing doesn't seem good NY yet again, despite the fact that it passes unanimously in the Senate. A few people we talked to said Assemblymember Deborah Glick won't allow it. She's on the board of higher education, and apparently the AMA sponsors her. I believe she did meet with somebody from PSSNY and she said the bill broadened scope of practice too much (although it really doesn't; you have to be under protocol with a physician anyway).

Oh well, at least Alabama doesn't have it yet either

 

[ttopping]

People in the profession wear white coats at work, for patient interaction purposes. There's really no place for them outside of the workplace. An ER doc doesn't wear scrubs to professional meeting just because he wears it in the hospital.

Glick is actually chairwoman of the higher educational committee. A lot of things are getting stuck in the assembly because of her which is unfortunate, not just CDTM. It's all voluntary so physicians don't have to do it anyway...oh well hopefully we can get it through eventually. We did get a few more people to sign on as sponsors though which is nice.

 

[homeslice]

I actually had no idea that there was a dress code, I never RSVPed to the event so they never sent me the information about dress code and whatnot, I just showed up early that morning, saw that there was a charter bus in front of the school and decided that I'd just go to Albany instead of going to class and lab. If the school had let me drive my car and follow the bus there, I would have been able to change.

Also, I didn't know that we'd be meeting with people, I thought it was just going to be like a few thousand angry pharmacy students and pharmacists standing in front of the capitol with signs, yelling and whatnot.

I think you should stick with the GIFs.

 

[Sparda29]

So you were ignorant of what you were doing, yet you decided to do it anyway. You have to realize that your actions have consequences for the people around you.

Legislators thought less of your classmates, school and pharmacy because of your ignorance. Seeing as how your school is from New York City, it's likely that you had appointments with the people who have been stonewalling pharmacy legislation for years. Kudos to you.

We didn't have any appointments this year (I guess that's a good thing in this case.) We just hung out at the health fair for most of the time.

 

[Hendlefe]

My group met 6 senators/assemblymen total. We only talked to one staffer out of that luckily. We actually managed to get one assemblyman to co-sponsor the citizenship bill so it was pretty awesome.